


Caretaker (Alternate)

by ApostropheN



Series: Cavit Ro Voyager Alternate Retelling [1]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s01e01 Caretaker, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28942317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApostropheN/pseuds/ApostropheN
Summary: The newly commissioned starship Voyager and a group of Maquis in a stolen Cardassian vessel are flung into the far reaches of the remote Delta Quadrant by a powerful entity known as the Caretaker.
Series: Cavit Ro Voyager Alternate Retelling [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137725
Kudos: 5





	1. Teaser

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternate version of Voyager, with two key changes: one, the senior staff who didn't survive the initial trip to the Delta Quadrant are reversed (with apologies to fans of Janeway, Paris, and Kim), and the Caretaker snags a different group of Maquis—the fate of Tuvok (and the Val Jean) is unknown at the time Voyager launches, though it'll become clearer later.
> 
> Obviously, a lot of the dialog is lifted directly from the episodes, but I've tried to shift the POVs to the characters who now survive instead, and build on intros or exits.

_Unhappy with a new treaty, Federation Colonists along the Cardassian border have banded together._

_Calling themselves "The Maquis," they continue to fight the Cardassians._

_Some consider them heroes, but to the governments of the Federation and Cardassia, they are outlaws._

*

Disruptors lashed out from the Cadassian warship Vetar, striking the recently “liberated” Hideki-class vessel. The even more recently re-named Li Nalas rocked with the impact.

“Damage report.” Ro Laren couldn’t afford to spare a glance to check what was happening around her. All her concentration sank into evasive maneuvers. Cardassian conn stations weren’t the worst ever designed, but she’d definitely place them somewhere in the top ten.

“Shields at eighty percent,” Cing’ta’s smooth baritone, borderline cheerful, came from tactical. “This has to be the best little Cardassian ship I’ve ever stolen. You’d think they wouldn’t want to damage their own toys.”

You could always count on a Bolian for more discourse than you asked for.

“We’re still a lot smaller than they are,” Dean Tamal said.

Despite Ro’s best efforts, another round of disruptor blasts struck the ship.

“Sixty-eight percent,” Cing’ta said.

“That took out our aft disruptors,” Tamal said. “They’re definitely targeting our weapons.”

“They want their toy back,” Cing’ta said. “Tell me again why we couldn’t just have Chakotay use his ship for this mission?”

Ro hadn’t decided whether or not to dignify Cing’ta with a response when the viewscreen lit up beside her. Gul Evek’s loathsome face took up most of the space.

“Maquis thieves, this is Gul Evek of the Cardassian Fourth Order. Cut your engines and prepare to return ownership of the vessel to our command or we will d—”

He vanished from the screen.

“Oops,” Cing’ta said.

“I never tire of your knack with comms, Cing,” Ro said. “Hold on.”

She threw the sleek ship into a twisting dive, avoiding some of the weapons-fire that followed. She had less luck with the next volley, and the ship lurched again.

“Fifty percent,” Tamal said. “They’re targeting the shield emitters.”

“Time to leave,” Ro said. “Reroute anything you can spare to the impulse engines.” She risked a short glance over her shoulder, to where Sahreen Lan manned the fourth station. “How’s the weather, Lan?”

“I’ve got just the storm for you,” the Trill replied. “One-seven-one, mark four-three.”

Ro saw it.

Phasers slammed into them again, and she set the course.

“Tamal?”

“This is everything I’ve got,” he said. “I took weapons offline.”

“Let’s see how she handles in a chase.” Ro engaged the impulse engines and the Li Nalas shot forward. Ro found herself smiling, just a little, as she saw the edge of the Badlands growing closer by the second, the rust-orange pillars of plasma visibly twisting and writhing even from the distance.

“Is it just me, or is that storm getting worse?” Cing’ta said.

Ro couldn’t blame the man’s hesitation. The rotating columns of plasma were definitely picking up speed and some were even breaking apart, forming new nascent vortexes of their own.

Luckily, their ill-gotten ship was small, and definitely had the maneuverability to do what she needed it to do. Ro swooped in tight around one of the streams. Despite the danger the storm presented, she could feel herself relaxing somewhat. Yes, she was going to enjoy flying the Li Nalas for a good long time.

Assuming they got out of this alive.

“They’re following,” Lan said, with no small surprise.

“Cardassian arrogance,” Ro snorted, keeping her eye on her own flying.

“And they just took a hit on their port side,” Cing’ta said, barely a moment later. “They’re sending out a distress signal. It would be terrible were it to get jammed, wouldn’t it?”

“Let them call for help, Cing,” Tamal said. “Just think of the tiny little cell Evek is going to be in for letting our new ship slip right through his fingers.”

“Dean.” Cing’ta’s already deep voice lowered. “This is a new side of you. When did you get so carceral?”

“Gentlemen,” Ro said, her voice cutting through their banter. “If one of you could be so kind as to get me a course to our rendezvous?”

“I’m on it,” Lan said. She muttered ‘boys’ under her breath. Ro didn’t even try to hide her grin. “It’s not going to be an easy path. The storm is really kicking up a fuss, and—”

A flash of whitish light passed through the bridge.

“What was that?” Ro said, frowning.

“Coherent tetryon beam,” Cing’ta said, a second later. He frowned at the terminal. “I can’t figure out where it came from.”

“Anything on long-range scanners?” Ro didn’t want to be caught unaware, not with half their phasers offline.

“There’s a… wave coming at us,” Lan said. “It’s huge. The sensors don’t know what to make of it.”

“On screen.”

Ro eyed the twisting ropes of plasma on the viewscreen. Then, beyond them, something else. Something brighter.

“Time to see just how fast we can go,” Ro said.

“I’ll give you everything I’ve got,” Tamal said.

Ro put them into a tight arc, trying to put the wave directly behind them.

“It’s faster than us,” Lan said. “Fifteen seconds to impact.”

“Maximum impulse,” Ro said.

“Ten,” Lan said. “Nine. Eight.”

Ro knew there was nothing she could do. The wave didn’t have to dodge the streams of the plasma storm, which she very much did, but right up until the wave struck the ship, she was still trying.

Everything went white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ro, and I would have loved to see more of her, so... Her ship.
> 
> I also liked a few of the other Maquis we caught glimpses of in other episodes—like Tamal, who helped Riker "borrow" the Defiant—and checked out the names of characters referenced that we never saw to fill up Ro's crew. A passing refrence to Cing'ta comes from a DS9 episode, but to say more than that would be an eventual spoiler for if I write more of these with this crew.


	2. Act I

“So, what I’m hearing is, ‘No aeroshuttle.’” Alexander Honigsberg eyed the man across from him in Ops and tried not to let his frustration get the better of him. It had been a long night, and the usually easy-going engineer was feeling it. The post-shakedown list for Voyager had really come down to the wire, with Honigsberg’s entire staff working on what felt like every subsystem in the ship over the last four days while the last of the personnel arrived at Deep Space Nine.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Chief O’Brien said, and to his credit, he did sound apologetic. “From what I understand, the transport from Utopia Planitia is still on its way, it’s just not due to arrive for another thirty hours. Ion storm. They had to divert from their flight plan.”

“No, it’s not your fault, Chief,” Honigsberg said. Saying it out loud helped. He took a steadying breath. In the long run, it just meant they’d have to come back to Deep Space Nine after their mission. “On the plus side, I don’t expect Captain Janeway will be asking to take the aeroshuttle out for a spin in the Badlands.”

O’Brien chuckled. “I imagine not, sir.” The man’s lilt was more pronounced when he wasn’t delivering bad news, Honigsberg noticed.

“Well.” Honigsberg rubbed his goatee, then eyed the schedule on his PADD. “Thanks, chief. I mean it. Your staff has been incredible and I know we’ve asked a lot over the past few days.”

“All part of the service,” O’Brien said. “Is there anything else we can do for you?”

“No,” Honigsberg said. “Thanks again.” He pushed off from the console, only realizing as he did so that he’d been leaning at all.

“If you’ll forgive the suggestion, sir,” O’Brien said, as Honigsberg turned to go. “I imagine you’ve got time to catch your breath now.”

Honigsberg paused, glancing at his PADD again. “That’s… true.” He’d cleared his schedule to oversee the completion of the Aeroshuttle’s propulsion systems.

“There’s a replimat on the Promenade,” O’Brien said. “Maybe get something to eat. You know, _before_ you tell your Captain about the aeroshuttle. Delivering bad news on a full stomach is always better, in my experience.”

Honigsberg opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. “That sounds like a great idea. Thanks again, Chief.”

“Don’t mention it, sir.”

He found the Replimat easily enough, and he took the chief’s advice, enjoying a plate of pierogi and a strong cup of tea before drafting up a report about the status of the aeroshuttle’s systems. He took a breath, sent it through to Commander Cavit, and then rose to put his dishes into the recycler.

“Excuse me, are you Lieutenant Honigsberg?”

He turned. A human lieutenant in gold regarded him. The man was tall, and fair-skinned, and had a handsome smile. And _familiar_ , but Honigsberg couldn’t place him.

“Yes,” Honigsberg said. “That’s me.”

“Pete Durst,” the man said.

“Of course.” Honigberg shook his head. “I’m sorry. My mind was somewhere else. Propulsion specialist, from the Lakota.” He was one of the new staff.

Durst raised an eyebrow. “Trouble, Chief?”

“I’ll let you know once the Commander tells the Captain we won’t have the aeroshuttle up and running.”

“We won’t?”

“I’m afraid not. But I’m sure I can find you something to do, if you’re ready to see your new home?” Honigsberg smiled.

“Absolutely, Chief.”

“Follow me,” Honigsberg said. “Voyager’s docked on one of the upper pylons.”

In the lift, Durst eyed Honigsberg. “I heard we’ll be entering the Badlands?”

Honigsberg considered asking Durst how he knew about the mission, which, while not classified, certainly wasn’t supposed to be common knowledge outside of the crew, but he gave in and nodded. The man just looked too eager to please.

“That’s true.”

As always, the only thing faster than warp speed was gossip.

*

Instead of feeling the usual freedom and joy she usually got flying a shuttle—or any ship, really—Veronica Stadi got the impression the universe was doling out comeuppance. She had no idea what her crime might have been, but the punishment grossly outweighed it. For the most part, things rarely ruffled Stadi. She had earned her reputation for coolness under pressure, and felt a rightful sense of pride in it. She’d once piloted her way around a quantum filament during her time on the Intrepid, and she’d been successfully avoiding her mother’s ongoing efforts to match her with a “suitable” family for the better part of a decade. If Stadi could handle deadly moments like those and not lose her composure, handling an Earth-Bajor warp flight in a shuttle with a single human male?

 _Shouldn’t_ be a problem.

“Stadi, you’re changing my mind about Betazoids,” the human male in question said, breaking what had almost been a record five minutes of silence from him on the journey thus far.

“Good,” she said, not rising to the bait.

“Oh, that wasn't a compliment,” Tom Paris said. “Until today I always considered your people warm and sensual.”

Despite herself, a little smile snuck through. She supposed to someone who couldn’t read the thoughts behind the words, Tom Paris might even present a bit of charm.

A tiny bit. Microscopic. Infinitesimal, even.

“I can be warm and sensual,” Stadi said, matching his playful tone. If this was how he wanted to compensate for the anxious thoughts he must know she could read, who has she to disabuse him of his childish coping mechanisms?

“Just not to me,” Paris said. He was closer than strictly polite. _Again_.

She took a breath. “Do you always fly at women at warp speed, Mister Paris?”

“Only when they're in visual range.”

It took all the composure she had not to laugh. For all his false bravado, Tom Paris certainly wasn’t a quitter. She was about to shut him down and remind him—gently, if possible, though she was running out of motivation—about standards of decorum when Deep Space Nine came fully into view. Docked at an upper pylon lay a sight that dismissed all her annoyance with Paris at a single glance.

“That's our ship. That's Voyager.”

Paris’s thoughts finally returned to something closer to the background noise she was used to from humanity, but now with an underlying awe she could definitely empathize with.

For the first time since he’d come aboard the shuttle, she almost found Tom Paris tolerable.

“Intrepid class. Sustainable cruise velocity of warp factor nine point nine-seven-five. Fifteen decks. Crew complement of one hundred and forty-one. Bio-neural circuitry.” She knew all her specs. She’d flown her prototype. Voyager was everything the Intrepid had been, plus all the learning of the Intrepid’s solid shakedown.

Stadi couldn’t wait to get behind the helm again.

“Bio-neural?” Paris’s interest was genuine this time, all flirtation gone.

“Some of the traditional circuitry has been replaced by gel packs that contain bio-neural cells,” she said. She supposed design specs weren’t often made available in penal colonies. “They organise information more efficiently, speed up response time.”

Stadi piloted the shuttle past Voyager, reluctantly putting her out of view, and opened a channel to Deep Space Nine’s Ops.

“Shuttlecraft Leavitt to Deep Space Nine,” she said. “Requesting permission to dock.”

“Shuttlecraft Leavitt, you are clear for the main docking ring, port four.”

Stadi drew the shuttle to the smaller port, with only the barest jolt as the seal took hold. She put the shuttle into stand-by, and rose from her seat.

“Second most gentle docking I’ve ever seen,” Paris said.

She shouldn’t engage, but she couldn’t stop herself. “The second?”

“There’s no improving on perfection,” Paris said. The man’s blue eyes radiated more of his blustery confidence.

Stadi eyed him just long enough to take the edge off his smile, then gestured to the hatch.

“After you, Mr. Paris.”

“Thank you,” he said, his grin recovering once more. He was pleased she was giving him the lead.

She kept her smile as neutral as possible. They had time to themselves before they were due on Voyager. If Stadi gave Tom Paris the lead, it meant she could see where he went.

And head in a different direction.

*

No matter the tests, no matter the checklists, in his experience every infirmary, sick-bay, or hospital Doctor Jeff Fitzgerald opened had _something_ just waiting to surprise him. Today? Today it was the main surgical bio-bed, which had just received the most recent upgrades after Voyager’s shakedown, and currently reporting an alarming condition.

“Well, despite what these readings say, you’re definitely not dead yet,” Fitzgerald said, eyeing his PADD, which was synched to the bio-bed.

Ensign Nozawa, covered by a silver sheet on the bio-bed, looked up at him with alarm. “Sir?”

Fitzgerald cracked a smile.

“Dr. Fitzgerald has an unfortunate tendency for humour.” Beside him, Nurse T'Prena reached down and reset the bio-bed readings. She eyed her PADD and raised a single eyebrow. After a moment, the results returned to something far closer to normal, this time with a simple explanation to the dizziness which had brought Ensign Nozawa to sickbay in the first place.

“Your blood pressure is low,” Fitzgerald said. “As is your blood sugar. If I was to ask you when you last ate, and how recently you slept?”

The ensign bit his bottom lip. “We had a problem with one of the pattern buffers. Chief Honigsberg wanted it fixed and cleared for use before we left Deep Space Nine.”

“Ah,” Fitzgerald said. “Well, I’ll remind Alex the night shift still need food and rest occasionally. Which you should get. Drink some water. Eat something. Have a nap.” He leaned over. “Do I need to make it an order?”

“No sir,” Nozawa said.

The doors to sick-bay opened again, and two men walked in. Fitzgerald’s mood soured at the sight of one of them. He turned to T'Prena, who was still eyeing her PADD. The surgical bio-bed appeared to be working just fine now she’d run it though a full cycle.

“Run a level three diagnostic, just to be sure,” he said, aiming for a casualness he didn’t quite feel. Then, to the two men, he added, “Can I help you?”

“Tom Paris, reporting on board.”

It took effort not to grind his jaw at the casual attitude Paris had. Fitzgerald met his gaze, holding it without warmth. To Paris’s credit, he didn’t look away. “Oh yes,” Fitzgerald said. “The observer.”

“That's me.” If anything, the cockiness grew. “As a matter of fact, I seem to be observing some kind of problem right now, Doctor.”

“I was a surgeon at the hospital on Caldik Prime at the same time you were stationed there,” Fitzgerald said. He saw the hit land in the tightening of Paris’s shoulders. It shouldn’t have satisfied Fitzgerald to see it, but it did, and he couldn’t work up any regret over it. He’d seen the results of Paris’s carelessness first hand. “We never actually met. Your medical records have arrived from your last _posting_ , Mister Paris.” He let the moment hang, before all but turning away from Paris, dismissing him. “Everything seems to be in order. The Captain asked if you were on board. You should check in with her.” 

“Uh.” The younger man with him, Ensign Kim, broke the chilly silence that followed. “I haven't paid my respects to the Captain yet, either.”

Fitzgerald aimed what he hoped was a lighter smile the ensign’s way. “Well, Mister Kim, that would be a good thing for a new operations officer to do.”

The two left together. Fitzgerald watched them go, not liking how much they already seemed to be a pair. Ensign Kim was so new you should see the shine on his boots. If Paris decided to influence the young officer, it wouldn’t end well.

He took a moment to update the crew medical manifest for the two, looking up as the door opened once more. A junior-grade lieutenant, science division, with warm brown skin entered, looking left and right before she spotted him. He didn’t recognize her, which put her on a very short list of people he was still waiting to meet.

“I’m guessing you’re Lieutenant Taitt?”

The woman smiled. “Doctor Fitzgerald.” She crossed the sick-bay, holding out a PADD. “Reporting on board.”

He took it. “I got your files from the Enterprise,” he said. “And congratulations, by the way.”

The woman beamed. Her promotion and transfer were obviously a source of pride. “Thank you.”

“Everything’s in order,” he said, comparing the PADD to his own manifest with a few quick taps to his monitor. “Have you seen your new labs yet?”

“Is it wrong to admit I went there first?” Taitt said.

“One of the best parts of being a doctor is the confidentiality,” Fitzgerald said. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

She nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. “Thank you, doctor.” She turned to go.

When she was at the door to sick-bay, Fitzgerald said, “Oh, and Lieutenant?”

She paused. “Yes, doctor?”

“Welcome to Voyager.”

She nodded, and the door closed behind her.

*

“That’s everyone,” Ensign Rollins said.

Cavit stood with Rollins at tactical, watching as the last few expected crew names were logged into the system and their access codes were activated. Everyone who was supposed to be here was apparently on board, which he decided to take as a very good omen. One hundred and forty-two. A few had come within the last ten minutes, sure, but how often in Starfleet history had a starship been crewed with no one arriving late?

The turbolift doors opened, and a few staff stepped out, including their new science officer, a woman he’d prior only spoken with via subspace.

“Welcome aboard, Lieutenant,” Cavit said. “Finding your way around okay?”

Taitt came over to the station. “Yes, sir.” She glanced around the bridge, and he noticed her gaze linger on the science station, to the left of the conn, where an ensign was currently running some final diagnostics.

“You know,” Cavit said, leaning in. “You’d likely have an easier time coordinating your department from up here. Our data on the Badlands is pretty limited, so everyone will be squeezing every bit of data out of the sensors they can.” He tilted his head. “Also? It’s a great view.”

Taitt didn’t even try to hide her smile. “I think that’s a great idea, sir. Thank you.”

Cavit watched the new lieutenant cross the bridge and speak to the ensign. She didn’t dismiss the ensign, instead watching her. Their voices didn’t carry, no more than murmurs across the bridge. He liked that she didn’t just take the station over, instead apparently prepared to let the ensign finish her work first. 

“How are we doing, Stadi?” Cavit said, moving back toward his station beside the big chair.

“Just waiting for the word, Commander.” She was always eager to fly. He could hear it in her voice.

As if on cue, the Captain’s ready room doors opened, and three figures strode out. The captain, their new ops officer, and their _observer_. The captain led them them his way.

“Did you have any problems getting here, Mister Paris?” Janeway asked. Clearly, she was setting a cordial tone with Paris. Cavit took a breath.

“None at all, Captain,” Paris replied, just as smooth and smug as Cavit had assumed he’d be. Then the three of them were in front of Cavit.

“My first officer, Lieutenant Commander Cavit,” Janeway said, gesturing to him, then turning back to the other two men. “Ensign Kim, Mister Paris.”

“Welcome aboard,” Cavit said, offering a hand to Ensign Kim. The young man took it and shook. Solid grip. Cavit let Paris’s hand linger just long enough to make a statement—hopefully not one the Captain would feel the need to discuss with him—then reluctantly shook his hand, too.

Nowhere near as solid a grip from the _observer_. No surprise.

Pleasantries accomplished, he returned to his duties while Janeway led Kim to his station. Cavit took one last glance at the situation board and nodded to himself. Once Janeway was back beside him, Kim happily at his station, she gave him a little nod.

“Lieutenant Stadi, lay in the course and clear our departure with operations,” Cavit said.

“Course entered,” Stadi said, without hesitation. “Ops has cleared us.”

“Ready thrusters,” Cavit said.

“Thrusters ready.”

Ensign Kim’s voice was so full of energy Cavit had to smother a smile. _Fresh-faced ensigns_.

“Initiate launching sequence,” he said.

“Sequence underway,” Stadi said.

Cavit eyed the viewscreen, watching the stars beyond Deep Space Nine tilt and spin as Voyager gently moved away from the station.

Beside him, Janeway leaned forward. “Engage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Building in a reason for the Aeroshuttle never getting used that isn't "CGI costs money" felt like an easy thing to do. And it also planted some seeds in my head for future moments, if I write more episodes for this alternate version of Voyager.


	3. Act II

“May I join you?” Doctor Fitzgerald said.

Cavit gestured to the otherwise empty table. “Of course.” The Mess Hall was busy, crew grabbing something to eat or drink before their shift began, likely adjusting from a plethora of different planetary or starbase day-night cycles.

“Thanks,” Fitzgerald sat. He had a mug of something that steamed, and took a deep swallow.

Cavit took a bite of greens, waiting. Fitzgerald’s line had appeared: a little mark that formed between his eyebrows, which meant he had something on his mind.

“Have you met the new Operations officer?” he said, putting his mug on the table between them. Cavit caught the scent of coffee, though there was so much milk added it barely counted.

“Kim?” Cavit said. “Briefly.” Surely the ensign couldn’t have done something to upset the doctor. It took a lot to get on Fitzgerald’s bad side, as far as Cavit could tell. They’d only served together for the last year of shakedown, and he could count on one hand the number of people the doctor had spoken remotely critically about.

“Kim,” Fitzgerald said. The line returned.

“Are you going to make me ask, or are you going fill me in?” Cavit said, chasing the last bite of salad around his plate.

Fitzgerald tipped his head. “I’m not sure if I’m overreacting.” He put his hands on either side of his mug, collecting his thoughts. “I feel like maybe our _observer_ is trying to influence him. Or at least, strike up some sort of friendship.”

“Oh.” Cavit put his fork down. He remembered the two men on the bridge, and how Kim had seemed completely at ease with Paris. “I see.”

Fitzgerald took another swallow of coffee. “I could be completely off base.”

“No.” Cavit shook his head. “I don’t think you are.”

“Do you think he even knows?” Fitzgerald said.

“Not likely.”

Fitzgerald took a final swig of his coffee.

“Speak of,” Cavit said, tilting his chin to the far door of the Mess Hall. Ensign Kim had just walked in, and was glancing around with such an obvious mix of pleasure and excitement it was borderline painful to look at.

 _Fresh-faced ensigns_ indeed.

Cavit waited for the ensign to look their way, and waved him over. Kim visibly straightened, obviously pleased, and nodded, pausing at the replicators long enough to order something in a mug before coming over to join them.

“Commander, Doctor,” he said, sitting with them, back ramrod straight.

“Let me clear up,” Fitzgerald said, taking Cavit’s plate and picking up his own mug. He aimed a particularly clear gaze at Cavit. _You start_ , the gaze said. “I’ll be right back.” He left to feed the dishes into the recycler.

“How are you enjoying Voyager, Ensign?” Cavit said, once the doctor had stepped away. “Settling in okay?”

“It’s incredible, sir.” Kim’s effusiveness was clearly genuine. He drank, a slight flush creeping up his neck.

“Everyone making you feel welcome?”

“Yes, sir.” Kim nodded.

Fitzgerald returned, sitting on the other side of Kim.

“Ensign,” Cavit said, briefly glancing at Fitzgerald. “We both want you to have the bright future you’re obviously destined for.”

Kim looked between the two men, frowning now. “Sir?”

“Tom Paris,” Fitzgerald said. “How much do you know about him?”

Kim’s frown grew. “We met at Quarks. He… helped me out with something.” The flush had grown.

“Do you know why he’s on board, Ensign?” Cavit said.

Kim shook his head. “I know he’s not assigned to the crew.” The words came out hesitantly. “He’s an observer? He has information about the Maquis?”

“He’s former Maquis,” Cavit said. “And doing this to reduce his sentence.”

Kim blinked. “Oh.”

“Before he joined the Maquis,” Fitzgerald said, picking up the thread, “he was involved in the deaths of three officers.”

Kim visibly paled.

“He tried to cover it up,” Fitzgerald said. “Falsified reports. Anything to keep himself from being held accountable.”

“This was on Caldik Prime,” Kim said. “You mentioned Caldik Prime.”

Fitzgerald nodded. “Look, we just thought it important that you know about Paris’s past. He won’t be with us long, but he’s got a proven record of doing damage.”

Kim exhaled slowly, frowning again.

“Hot. Hot, _plain_ , tomato soup!”

All three men turned. They hadn’t seen Paris enter the Mess Hall, but the man was pulling a bowl of soup—which he apparently felt quite strongly about—from the replicator and turned to see them.

“I’ll see you on the bridge, Ensign,” Cavit said, seeing Paris heading their way. He got up.

Fitzgerald rose as well.

They left the ensign there, leaving the Mess Hall together.

“Hopefully that’ll be enough,” Fitzgerald said, once the doors closed behind them.

“He’s a smart kid,” Cavit said. “I’m sure he’ll see right through Paris.”

They paused for a moment at the turbolift, and waited as two crewmen exited before stepping inside.

“Deck Five,” Fitzgerald said.

“Bridge,” Cavit said.

The turbolift rose, bringing Cavit up a deck before carrying the doctor back to sickbay. The bridge was hopping as crew arrived early for the shift-change, with relief staff manning a few of the positions still. On the viewscreen, in the distance, Cavit could just make out the leading edge of the Badlands, a smear of rust-orange among the black of space.

He joined the Captain at tactical. She had long-range readings on the screen. At a glance, it was clear smooth sailing wasn’t in their future.

“Still rough,” he said.

“Voyager can handle it,” Janeway said, sparing a glance and a small smile for him. She tapped her combadge. “Janeway to Paris.”

Paris’s voice came a second later. “Go ahead.”

“Report to the Bridge. We're approaching the Badlands.”

*

Cavit noticed Paris and Kim arrived together, and wondered if Kim had even discussed what they’d told him with the man, but put it from his mind as Paris joined them at tactical. Ensign Rollins had taken up his position again.

“Plasma storms were measured at levels three and four,” Rollins said.

Janeway showed Paris the display. “The Cardassians gave us the last known heading of the Maquis ship, and we have charts of the plasma storm activity the day it disappeared. With a little help, we might be able to approximate its course.”

To his credit, which Cavit reluctantly granted, Paris took a moment to consider. “I’d guess they were trying to get to one of the M-class planetoids in the Terikof Belt.”

Cavit knew it. “That's beyond the Moriya system.”

“The plasma storms would have forced them in this direction,” Rollins said, plotting a likely path for the missing ship.

“Adjust our course to match,” Janeway said.

“Aye, Captain,” Cavit said. He sent the coordinates to Stadi, trying to ignore Paris's voice as the man suggested he Maquis ship could be destroyed, which was what the Cardassians claimed had happened. Everything about Paris set Cavit's teeth on edge, and the sooner this mission was over, the better. He couldn't wait to see the back end of Tom Paris.

Stadi acknowledged the course. Cavit was about to order her to engage, but light flickered through the bridge.

“Captain, I'm reading a coherent tetryon beam scanning us,” Kim said.

Cavit turned, his attention caught by the edge in Kim’s voice.

“Origin, Mister Kim,” Janeway said.

“I’m not sure.” He checked his readings, frowning. “There's also a displacement wave moving toward us.”

“On screen.”

Cavit stared. On the viewscreen, among the twisting columns of plasma, he saw the wave. At a glance, he couldn’t think of a single natural cause for such a coherent wave. It glowed brightly as it approached, a bright, clear white.

Janeway turned. “Analysis.”

“It's some kind of polarized magnetic variation,” Kim said. He didn't sound certain. 

Cavit dropped considering the cause of the wave from the forefront of his mind, and focused on getting rid of it. “We might be able to disperse it with a graviton particle field.”

Janeway nodded. Given her background, he knew she had a better grasp of the science than he did. “Do it. Red alert. Move us away from it, Lieutenant.”

Stadi adjusted their course while Cavit started working. “New heading, four-one mark one-eight-zero.”

“Initiating graviton field,” Cavit said, glancing up.

On the viewscreen, nothing changed.

“The graviton field had no effect,” Kim said.

Cavit fought the urge to swear. He didn't have another trick up his sleeve. 

“Full impulse,” Janeway said. 

Apparently, neither did she.

Kim worked his panel. “The wave will intercept us in twelve seconds.”

“Can we go to warp?” Janeway said.

Stadi shook her head. “Not until we clear the plasma field, Captain.”

“Five seconds,” Kim said.

Janeway sank into her chair. “Brace for impact.”

Cavit took a second to lockdown the emitters, then started for his own seat.

“Three,” Kim said.

The next thing he knew, Cavit was flying, and the viewscreen, the bridge, and then everything around him was a bright, clear, white.

*

Cavit coughed, and pain flared across his left shoulder and sent waves of light flaring in front of his eyes. He blinked, alarmed when nothing came into focus at first, only realizing a few breaths later with dull, slow thoughts he was face-down on the floor.

 _Get up_ , he thought. _Get up_.

With aching effort, Cavit managed to draw his right arm under his chest. Pushing himself up set the pain off from his left shoulder a second time, but he managed to get his bearings and raise his head. Red alert lights strobed the bridge. When he turned his head, his vision blurred terribly. He shut his eyes for a second, pausing on his hands and knees, trying to gather the strength the attempt to get to his feet.

 _Get up_.

“Captain?” Cavit’s voice was raw. He coughed again—pain flaring along his shoulder—forcing himself to stand via sheer willpower. When he opened his eyes, the blurring returned, but it wasn’t as bad if he didn’t turn his head.

The bridge, on the other hand…

“Report!” He pitched his voice above the Red Alert. No one answered. Bracing himself to turn his head, wondering why no one was answering him, Cavit managed to twist left.

He froze at the sight. Ops was a burned wreck, and from the look of it, the EPS conduit running behind the console had exploded and taken out Ops and most of the command station…

That’s when Cavit saw the bodies. Ensign Kim at Ops. He took a single reflexive step toward the ruins of the station—his vision blurring again—then stopped, realizing there was nothing he could do for the man. And at his feet, sprawled between him and the Ops station, knocked from her ruined chair…

Cavit swallowed. If he’d managed to get to his chair before that displacement wave had hit them, he’d probably be dead himself.

He knelt, duty forcing himself to double-check despite the obvious, pressing his fingers to the captain’s neck.

Nothing.

“The Captain?” The voice came beside the conn.

Cavit looked up. Lieutenant Stadi had a cut across her forehead, and was kneeling beside her station, over Tom Paris. Their eyes met, and Cavit shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment against the nausea.

“Paris, too.” Stadi swallowed, then pulled herself back onto her station.

A groan from tactical, and Ensign Rollins pulled himself to his feet. “Hull breach on deck fourteen. I can’t get communication to engineering.”

“Repair crews,” Cavit called out. “Report to deck fourteen to seal a breach.”

“Aye, sir,” came a voice over the comm. Ensign Swinn, he thought foggily.

“Casualty reports are coming in,” Rollins said. “Sick bay is responding.”

“Sensors are showing a structure out there.” Another voice. Taitt. Cavit managed to face her. The blast from Ops seemed to have come up short of the science station, thankfully. He forced himself to start moving toward her. Every step threatened more nausea and sent streaks of light across his vision.

“This can’t be right,” Taitt said, frustration tightening her voice. “It can’t be.”

“Lieutenant?” Cavit said.

Taitt tapped her console and looked up. He turned his attention to the viewscreen. The space station there was of no design Cavit had seen before. A core cylinder, around which were grouped two quartets of what appeared to be large sensor arrays, one ringing near the top, one the bottom. The station also had a perpendicular cross-beam bisecting the whole. As the scale of the station sunk in, a burst of energy released and streaked off into the star field beyond.

 _Star field_. Cavit stared. That wasn't right. “Where are the badlands?”

“Commander,” Stadi said. “Navigational sensors put us over seventy thousand light years from our last position.” She looked up, her mouth in a tight line. “We’re on the other side of the galaxy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and we're officially diverging here. Sorry Janeway. You are totally my favourite captain! And Kim, this time you die-die. (Less sorry about you, Tom.)
> 
> Ever since he played Roga Danar I had a huge crush on Jeff McCarthy, so I gave Dr. Fitzgerald the first name Jeff. I also liked the barely-glimpsed dynamic of Fitzgerald and Cavit talking with Kim in Caretaker, and I decided they're buds. Potentially more than buds, though they gave me a "former" vibe, rather than an ongoing, which is what I'm going to begin with. But, y'know, give it time.


	4. Act III

By the time the environmental systems cleared the last of the smoke in the bridge, Stadi and Taitt had managed to restore sensors. They still had no comms to engineering or the science labs, but at least they could get a better picture of what was going on around them.

Cavit was more or less holding himself upright at Tactical beside Rollins. Behind him, he heard the last of the injured—and the bodies—being taken from the bridge.

Every time he turned his head, nausea and flares of light and pain threatened. He could hold it together long enough to get them through this crisis. He _would_.

“There’s a Cardassian ship,” Taitt said. Cavit turned as carefully as he could manage, but saw Taitt shake her head, peering at the viewscreen. “No life signs.”

Rollins pulled up her scan for Cavit, and he eyed it. About a third the size of Voyager, the ship looked like it had seen some battle recently. “Let’s not look a gift horse, Lieutenant. The last thing we need are Cardassians,” he said. “What about in the station? Life signs?”

Taitt frowned, tapping out a series of commands. “Sensors aren’t penetrating the station. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s some sort of array.” As she spoke, another pulse launched from the station, flashing off into space beyond.

“And those?” Cavit said.

“Radiant energy. Directed toward a nearby G-type star system.” She checked her readings. “It’s a huge amount of energy, Commander, but I don’t think it’s a weapon.”

“That’s something.” Cavit shifted his attention back to Rollins, fighting the nausea again. “Try hailing them.”

Rollins sent the hail, but the voice that sounded a moment later wasn’t from the array.

“—neering to bridge,” Chief Honigsberg said. “Are you reading?”

“We hear you, Chief,” Cavit said, cracking a small smile of relief.

“No response from the array,” Rollins said.

“We’ve got severe damage down here,” Honigsberg said. “There’s a microfracture in the core. I’m going to have to lock her down, or we’ll risk a breach. Whatever hit us needs to not hit us again, and we cannot go to warp.”

“Understood, chief. We’re not planning on going anywhere. Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

Cavit could hear Honigsberg already starting to issue orders before the comm channel closed.

“Okay,” Cavit said, turning to face the others, only to stumble and nearly fall. Rollins grabbed at him, the strong man managing to keep him upright. Bursts of light blocked Cavit’s entire field of vision, then darkness crept in around the edges. Sounds grew muffled. He closed his eyes, a violent wave nausea striking him.

He barely held himself back from vomiting.

“Commander?” Stadi’s voice was as calm as always, but he could hear her concern. He wanted to open his eyes, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Bridge to sickbay,” she said, when he didn’t reply.

“Sickbay,” Dr. Fitzgerald said, voice clipped.

“Commander Cavit needs medical attention,” Stadi said.

“Can you get him to us? We’ve got our hands full down here.”

Cavit wanted to argue with her, point out it could wait, but when he tried to open his eyes, he could barely manage a few seconds of the bridge lights. She was right and he knew it.

“Ensign Rollins will bring him to you,” Stadi said. Rollins shifted his grip on Cavit’s arm, and started to lead him from the bridge.

Cavit stopped Rollins when he heard the turbo lift doors.

“You have the bridge, Stadi,” Cavit managed, opening his eyes long enough to meet her gaze. “Keep trying to reach whoever is in that array, and co-ordinate with engineering on repairs.”

“Aye, sir.”

*

The scent of plasma burns lingered through sickbay, and Cavit caught sight of the EMH working as Rollins walked him to the doctor. Managing quick glimpses every fourth or fifth step, the snapshots of Voyager’s sickbay left him as nauseous as the aching pulses in his head. It was crowded. A lot of wounded crew, he assumed, though he couldn’t focus his eyes long enough to truly take measure of numbers.

“Help Stadi and Taitt once you drop me off, Ensign,” Cavit said.

“Aye, sir. Here we are.” Rollins helped him sit on the edge of a bio bed, and he braced himself for another look. He opened his eyes just in time to see Rollins leaving. Good man. Tuvok had been right to suggest him to stand in his place until they got him back.

Cavit closed his eyes again, focusing on breathing.

“Stay still,” Fitzgerald said. He hadn’t heard the man approach.

The sound of the medical tricorder went straight through Cavit’s temples. “Oh, that’s awful, Jeff,” he said. “Can’t you turn that down?”

“Sorry. You have a severe concussion, and it looks like you subluxated your left shoulder.” Fitzgerald was behind him, but he kept his voice pitched low, which was something at least. “Give me a second.”

A moment later, the press of a hypospray against his neck was followed by the usual hiss and a flood of relief. The pain and nausea receded palpably, and this time, when he opened his eyes, his vision finally cleared. He still felt uneven, but the difference was night and day. He exhaled.

“Thank you.” He started to push off the biobed, but Fitzgerald stepped into view.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he said. That’s when Cavit saw the doctor’s left hand and forearm were wrapped, and the left sleeve of his uniform in burned shreds all the way up to the elbow.

“Jeff,” Cavit said. “Your arm?”

“Panel overload. It could have been worse.” He shook his head. “The EMH is handling what I can’t. We’re in triage mode. We’ve got people worse off than me right now. The EPS conduits in the science labs went one by one.” Fitzgerald glanced out into sickbay, and Cavit followed his gaze, realizing for the first time just how many people were in the space. Some even sat or lay on the floors. Most of the uniforms of the injured were blue.

“As soon as possible, you have the EMH and T’Prena check you out,” Cavit said.

“I’ll get my turn,” Fitzgerald said. 

Cavit nodded, and regretted it almost instantly. The hypospray helped, but obviously it wasn’t a panacea. He raised a hand to his temple, wincing. “Okay. I need to get back to the bridge.”

“Aaron. When I said _severe_ I meant it. Whatever happened, the captain can handle it,” Fitzgerald said. “I need you to…”

He broke off at Cavit’s expression.

“I need to get back to the bridge, Jeff,” Cavit said again, dropping his voice just enough to be heard by the doctor.

To his credit, it didn’t take Fitzgerald long. “The captain?”

Cavit shook his head.

Fitzgerald swallowed, but stepped back. “As soon as you’re able, you get back here. That’s an order. And if you have more blurred vision, pain, nausea? You come back here _immediately_. I don’t care what’s happening, you _come_ _here_.”

“Yes, doctor.” He pushed off from the bed, and this time, the world didn’t blur around him. He passed injured crewmen, forcing a confident nod if he met any conscious gazes. There weren’t many. Nurse T’Prena and the EMH were moving through the room with efficiency. He tried not to let his gaze linger on the bodies covered in sheets.

There’d be time for that later.

He’d just reached the door when Stadi opened a channel.

“Bridge to Cavit. The array is scanning us. We raised shields but it’s still—”

She cut off abruptly.

Cavit frowned. It wasn’t like Stadi to hesitate. “Lieutenant? Bridge? Bridge, respond.”

He caught a flash from the corner of his eye. He turned in time to see a woman vanish as she rose from a bio-bed, swept away in some sort of transporter beam.

 _The Cardassian ship was empty_.

Cavit tapped his combadge. “Cavit to all hands, emergency lock—“

He vanished.

*

“—back online,” Honigsberg said, his voice trailing off. A second ago, he’d been in engineering. They’d dealt with the microfracture—thankfully, locking the magnetic constrictors had managed the reaction rate and the pressure in the core had dropped—and he’d just given the order to restorethem and then...

He reached out and touched the tall green and yellow stalks in front of him.

Now he was standing in a corn field.

He heard voices, and turned, finding his way through the tall stalks until he pushed out of the field of corn and onto the edge of a well-groomed yard. A light breeze ruffled his hair, and the sky above was blue and warm.

“Chief?”

Honigsberg turned. Durst had come out of the same corn field. “Where are we?”

“Good question.” He wished he had his tricorder on him. He saw another small group of Voyager crew further up the field, and nodded. “Come on. Let’s go find out.”

By the time they’d reached the other group—Honigsberg saw Stadi and Rollins, and a science division lieutenant he didn’t know—more and more of the crew were coming out out of the cornfield.

At the top of the field, a large white house awaited them. Honigsberg thought it looked like something out of an old North American-set holonovel, complete with a screen door and a wide porch.

“Commander,” Stadi called.

Honigsberg glanced back, and sure enough Commander Cavit was approaching them. Doctor Fitzgerald was with him, looking a bit worse for wear. Ensign T’Prena followed. Both the doctor and the nurse had their medical tricorders out, taking scans.

At least someone arrived with tools in hand, Honigsberg thought.

“Come up here!”

They all turned back to the house, alarmed, but the figure coming through the screen door was a small human woman, in period dress, and she was carrying a large tray with a pitcher and glasses and plate of something.

“Come on, now. I have a pitcher of lemonade and some sugar cookies.”

Honigsberg blinked. “She has to be kidding.”

“She’s not human,” Stadi said. “I’m not sensing any thoughts from her.” She frowned. “I feel the crew, and something else…” The Betazoid shook her head. "Another presence, I think."

“This entire environment is holographic,” T’Prena said, joining them alongside the doctor and the commander. “And we were only transported approximately ninety-seven kilometres.”

“We’re inside the array, then,” Stadi said.

Honigsberg looked around. “Has anyone seen the Captain?”

Cavit and Stadi exchanged a glance.

“Captain Janeway didn’t make it,” Cavit said. "We lost her, Kim, and Paris on the bridge."

Honigsberg exhaled sharply, but put his game face back on as fast as he could. He'd lost Carey in engineering, but now wasn’t the time.

“Oh, you poor things.” The holographic farm woman reached them. “You must be tired out. Come and sit down and rest awhile.” She lifted the tray toward Honigsberg. “Have a cold drink, hmm?”

Honigsberg raised a hand. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Cavit stepped forward. “My name is Aaron Cavit. I’m the commanding officer of the Federation Starship Voyager.”

“Now, just make yourselves right at home.” The woman was relentlessly cheerful. “The neighbours should be here any minute. Oh! Why there they are!”

More period-appropriate figures approached, in the garb of the old North American setting. They started to greet the Voyager crew, who were still coming out of the corn field. The holographic “neighbours” seemed just as upbeat and just as lacking in any useful information. 

An old man at the head of the group, carrying a stringed instrument, smiled widely at them. “We’re real glad you dropped by,” he said.

“Now we can get started.” The woman beamed a wide smile at them. “You’re all invited to the welcoming bee!”

“Let’s have some music!” the old man said.

The archaic—and barely tolerable—music began, the old man leading with the stringed instrument he carried.

Honigsberg blew out a breath. He should have taken some of the lemonade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fitgerald's injury here is going to allow me to keep the EMH around, albeit in a different capacity. I couldn't bring myself to completely write out the EMH, even if I was keeping Fitzgerald. 
> 
> Honigsberg being a wee bit irreverent is also fun.


	5. Act IV

Fitzgerald checked his tricorder, running mental math and doing his best to ignore the slow return of sensation in his left hand. “At a guess, the crew is all here, in groups around the farm,” he said.

“No one to beam us back, then.” Cavit eyed the group. “Okay. You two have tricorders,” he said, nodding to Fitzgerald and T’Prena. “Buddy up and fan out. Maybe we can disrupt the the projection and talk to whoever is in charge. I’ll keep trying with the lady with the lemonade.” He turned to Stadi. “Are you sensing anyone, Lieutenant?”

“There’s definitely a presence,” Stadi said. “But I don’t think I can reach them telepathically.”

“Well, if we find the projectors at the very least we can kill the music,” Honigsberg said. He turned to Fitzgerald. “Why don’t we go that way, doctor?” He pointed off toward the barn to the far side of the farmhouse.

“You’re with me, ensign,” Stadi said.

“Yes, lieutenant,” T’Prena said. They headed off in the opposite direction.

Cavit watched them go, nodding at Taitt and Durst. “If anyone else arrived with tricorders, get them hunting, too.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison, leaving him alone.

Cavit took a breath, and returned to the holographic woman. She held up a different platter now.

“Have some nice fresh corn on the cob!” She was offering the food to anyone nearby. “Fresh corn on the cob!”

“Can you put me in contact with whoever is running this array?” Cavit said.

The woman shook her head sadly. “Oh, we don't mean you any harm. I'm sorry if we put you out. Why don't you just put your feet up and get comfortable while you wait?”

Cavit frowned. “Wait? What are we waiting for?”

Her expression shifted from concern back to cheerfulness in an instant.

“Isn't anybody hungry?” She turned to more of the crew. “Come on now, make yourselves at home. I'm sorry if we put you out.”

Cavit hoped the others were having better luck.

*

“Your arm okay, doctor?” Honigsberg said.

Fitzgerald glanced at him. “I wouldn’t turn down a hypospray.”

“Do you want me to take over?”

“It’s fine,” Fitzgerald said. “It helps to have something else to do.”

“Got it,” Honigsberg said. “Oh, heads up. Hey there, pup.”

A dog—holographic, Fitzgerald confirmed—followed them around the side of the house. He shook his head. The farmhouse, the people, the dog… it all seemed so _pleasant_. Even the air smelled like a farm, down to the faint scent of manure every now and then.

A figure stepped out in front of them. A tall, young, pretty brunette woman with lightly tanned skin and a sundress. 

“Hey,” she said, smiling. “Let me show you around. The root cellar's right over there.”

Honigsberg eyed Fitzgerald. He shook his head. “Hologram.”

“Why would we want to see the root cellar?” Honigsberg said.

The farmer smiled, taking the engineer by the arm. “It's real private.”

“Ah,” Honigsberg shifted out of her grip. “I hate to disappoint you, but I’m afraid you’re not my type.”

“He prefers strapping farmlads,” Fitzgerald said, barely looking up. “There’s nothing here,” he said to Honigsberg.

The woman blinked a few times, her face all but blank for a moment.

A man who definitely fit the bill of “strapping farmlad” appeared from around the same side of the house the woman had come from. Taller than either of them, he was tanned, another brunette, broadly built, and smiled widely at Honigsberg.

“Huh. How very accommodating,” Honigsberg said.

“Also a hologram,” Fitzgerald said. Something blipped on his tricorder. He frowned at the readings, and pulled out the sensor module. It was awkward to hold the tricorder in his left hand—his fingers just didn’t want to work properly, which was definitely something he didn’t want to think about right now—but with the sensor removed, he could try to focus the odd readings he was getting.

“Howdy,” the holographic farmhand said, sidling up to Honigsberg and smiling down at him. He wrapped an arm loosely around the engineer’s shoulder. “Did you want to sit on the porch a spell?”

“I’ll leave you be,” the woman said, and danced away from them with a spring in her step.

“Apparently I don’t rate.” Fitzgerald said, amused. “Wait. I’m getting something.” He aimed the sensor at the barn.

Honigsberg—and his tall companion—stepped over. Annoyingly, the farmhand got between Fitzgerald and the barn.

“What is it?” Honigsberg said.

“Sporocystian life signs.” Fitzgerald tilted the tricorder to show him. He eyed the farmhand, who’d let go of Honigsberg to stand directly in their way. “May we see the barn?”

“Nothing to see but hay,” he said.

Fitzgerald and Honigsberg shared a quick look, then darted around to either side of the farmhand.

“Hey now, fella,” the man said, with a cheerful tone, grabbing for Honigsberg’s shoulder. The chief ducked out of his grasp, and the farmhand began a light jog as the two officers made their way to the barn.

“How about the duck pond?” the farmhand said, managing to get between them and the barn doors just a step ahead of them. “We could feed the ducks.”

“Maybe later, big guy,” Honigsberg said, and took the man by the shoulders, physically pulling him away from the door.

The man’s face fell, disappointment modeled quite effectively by the hologram. “It’s just a barn. Hey, are y’all hungry? We got corn on the cob, and devilled eggs. What do you say, huh?”

Fitzgerald ignored the farmhand and opened the barn door wide enough to get through. Honigsberg followed a step behind, the farmhand once again stepping around them to get between them and the interior of the barn, which did, indeed, look like a barn.

“There. Y’all have seen it. Now how’s about we get some chow?”

Fitzgerald’s tricorder, readings strengthened. “Same sporocystian life sign,” he said. He aimed the sensor to the left and right, frowning.

“Which way?” Honigsberg said.

“I can’t pinpoint it,” Fitzgerald said, annoyed. He aimed the sensor at the back wall of the barn and the tricorder readings trilled. “Hang on. That could be a projector, right?”

Honigsberg leaned over. “The matrix looks right. Definitely.”

“Wait,” Fitzgerald said. “Behind it…” He started toward the far edge of the barn, having to brush bodily by the farmhand, who let out a little noise of frustration. “Humanoid lifesigns. Bajoran. Human. _Bolian_ …”

“It’s not time for you, yet,” the farmhand said, moving between Fitzgerald and the wall. The amiable smile was gone now. The hologram stared him down.

A low growl sounded behind them. They turned. The holographic dog snarled at them both.

They exchanged a glance, and Fitzgerald tapped his combadge. “Fitzgerald to Cavit. We found a—“

With a sudden speed neither of the men anticipated, the farmhand slugged Fitzgerald. He went down, hard, grunting and dropping the tricorder and sensor both.

“Hey now,” Honigsberg said, getting between the two, dropping into a ready stance.

“Doctor?” Cavit’s voice rose in alarm on Fitzgerald’s combadge.

Fitzgerald shook his head. For a hologram, the farmhand could really throw a punch. “The barn,” he said, rolling onto his side.

The old woman from the farmhouse appeared in a swirl of light, holding a pitchfork over him. Fitzgerald froze. Then two more of the farmers appeared, bearing shovels.

A second after that, Cavit came through the open barn door, stopping up short at the sight.

“Very well,” the old woman said, all trace of congeniality gone. “Since no one seems to care for any corn, we'll have to proceed ahead of schedule.”

The back wall of the barn shimmered out of existence. Fitzgerald, sitting up awkwardly, had a level view of what seemed to be dozens of low-set platforms, with humanoids lying on each, covered under thin sheets, their arms left to hang down over the edges, and a single, thin needle piercing their stomachs. He spotted the Bolian his tricorder had discovered, and opened his mouth to tell the Commander, but a wave of fatigue washed over him and he toppled backwards onto the hay-covered floor of the barn.

*

His arm throbbed.

Fitzgerald winced, coming to with a groggy, dry-mouthed malaise and a deep, pulsing ache that ran down his left arm. He blinked, trying to shake off the effects of whatever he’d been dosed with, regaining his focus just in time to see a large, thin needle lowering from above, the point moving toward his stomach. He tried to shift, but it was like a weight had pressed down on him.

Restraining field.

The needle broke his skin and he grunted. Across from him, he heard Honigsberg make a similar sound of pain. He opened his mouth, wanting to get his attention, but warmth pooled in his stomach and his eyes fluttered shut again.

*

Cavit blinked, putting a hand to his temple and wincing as sickbay came into focus—and then blurred alarmingly. Someone was standing over him, and it took him a few seconds to realize it wasn’t a someone, but rather the EMH. The hologram scanned him with a medical tricorder, then applied a hypospray.

“You have a severe concussion,” the hologram said, with a complete lack of compassion. “This should alleviate most of the symptoms, but you need a proper scan and a full treatment to recover.”

“So I’ve been told,” Cavit said, rising now the hypospray had once again taken the edge off. The sickbay was full of crew rising to their feet. “How long were we gone?”

“Nearly three days,” the EMH said. “In the future, if someone could turn off my program—”

“ _Three days_?” Cavit said, tapping his combadge. “Cavit to bridge.”

“We’re here commander.” Stadi’s voice was as groggy as Cavit felt.

“Sir? The Cardassian ship is restoring power,” Rollins said.

“The life signs aren’t Cardassian, though. I’m reading humans, Bajorans, a Bolian…” Taitt spoke quickly.

“Tractor them,” Cavit said. He had a good idea who those people were. “I’m on my way.” He glanced around the sick-bay, taking stock. T’Prena was leading Fitzgerald to the surgical biobed. The doctor was cradling his left arm.

 _Three days_.

Cavit turned to the EMH. “Help Doctor Fitzgerald,” he said.

“Of course,” the EMH said. “Could you explain what has transpired?”

“I’ll tell you when I know,” Cavit said, and headed for the bridge.

*

“Engineering reports Chief Honigsberg didn’t come back with the rest of us,” Rollins said, when Cavit stepped onto the bridge. “The computer reports him as the only person missing.”

Cavit nodded. “Hail the Cardassian ship.”

“Channel open.”

The viewscreen flicked to the interior of a Cardassian bridge, but as Taitt had said, no Cardassians were aboard. A Bajoran woman sat in the command position, and lifted her chin at the sight of him. Cavit spotted a Bolian behind her, and what appeared to be a human man to her other side, but his attention returned to her.

“Ro Laren,” Taitt said, clearly surprised.

Cavit glanced at her, then back to the viewscreen. “ _Lieutenant_ Ro Laren?” he said. That confirmed his suspicion that these were indeed Maquis. Just not the Maquis Voyager had been looking for.

Ro nodded reluctantly, apparently not pleased a Starfleet officer knew who she was. Or maybe it was just a lack of surprise.

“Commander Aaron Cavit,” he said, introducing himself. “We were looking for some friends of yours when we got pulled here by that array. Our chief engineer is missing. Did he end up on your ship?”

Ro exchanged a glance with the Bolian, who tipped his head, then she turned back to him. “No. And we’re missing someone, too. Sahreen Lan. She’s my ops officer.”

Cavit took a breath. “Lieutenant, it’s safe to say we’re in the same boat here. If I release your ship, would you be willing to pool resources and try to recover our people together?” He tried to remember what he’d read of the famous—infamous—Lieutenant Ro Laren, and mostly came up blank, but he didn’t doubt her loyalty to her cause. Or her people.

Also, if it came to a chase, her ship was smaller and Voyager was faster.

“I’ll beam over,” Ro said, apparently coming to a decision. The Bolian beside her started to say something, but she raised a hand, and the big man fell silent.

“If it will show good faith,” Cavit said. “By all means bring him with you.”

For the first time, Ro Laren cracked a small smile. “Thank you, Commander. We’ll be right over. _Li Nalas_ out.”

The connection closed.

“I don’t think the Cardassians would have named their ship after Li Nalas,” Taitt said.

“They’re powering down their engines and dropping their shields,” Rollins said.

“Disengage the tractor beam,” Cavit said. He eyed Taitt. “Ro Laren served with you?”

“On the Enterprise,” Taitt confirmed. “I don’t think we spoke more than three times.”

“What’s your impression?”

Taitt took a second. “Smart. Capable. She aced the Advanced Tactical Training course. I can’t speak much to her character, but I wouldn’t underestimate her.”

Cavit nodded. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Two people beamed onto the rear of the bridge, appearing in the golden swirl of the Cardassian transporter effect. Ro Laren stood to one side of the turbolift, with the broad Bolian to her left. They had their backs to an easy escape vector.

 _Advanced Tactical Training indeed_.

“They’re armed, Commander,” Collins said. He was right. Both carried phasers. The ensign drew his own.

Cavit swallowed, raising his hands and walking toward them. Not the first interaction he was hoping for. “You can put those away. I promise you we’ve no intention of starting anything.”

The moment stretched out, but then Ro nodded, and both holstered their weapons.

Cavit nodded at Rollins, and he followed suit.

Ro eyed him. “You said you were looking for some friends of ours. Not us.”

Cavit briefly considered keeping his cards close to his chest, but they were a long way from home and he wanted to work with these people, rather than have to worry about them. “Yes. We were in the Badlands looking for the former Commander Chakotay.”

The Bolian let out a little breath. “You knew,” he said, but not to Cavit. To _Ro_.

 _Interesting_.

Ro nodded at him. “We knew we had a leak. Just not who.” She regarded Cavit. “According to our computer, we’ve been here for nearly a week now. When did you arrive?”

“Three days ago.”

“How long did they keep you in the farm?” Cavit asked.

“Farm?” Ro shook her head. “We were treated to the finest of Cardassian hot springs.”

“It was uncomfortable,” the Bolian said, clearly understating.

“That actually makes sense,” Taitt said.

They all turned to her. She tapped the science station. “The computers were scanned. The array downloaded a lot of information. I imagine it created an environment it assumed would be pleasing to us based on our records.” She eyed Ro with a small, almost apologetic, smile. “Your ship’s records would have suggested something a bit more… Cardassian than ours.”

“I caught a glimpse of your people before we were knocked out,” Cavit said. “You were on beds, with some sort of probe underway.” He touched his stomach with one finger. “Do you remember anything?”

“Not really.” Ro checked with the Bolian, who shook his head.

“I’ll have my doctor see if he can figure out what was done to us,” Cavit said. “But right now I’m more concerned with our missing people.” He turned back to the viewscreen, watching as another pulse of energy sped from the array. “Why did they keep them, but let the rest of us go?”

“You want to go back,” Stadi said.

Cavit tilted his head. “I’m not a fan of leaving people behind.”

“May we join you, Commander?” Ro said.

“Absolutely,” Cavit said. He turned to Taitt. “I want to understand that array. It dragged us across the galaxy, so let’s assume it can throw us back. Are you able to get readings through the outer hull yet?”

Taitt shook her head. “No, sir.”

“Okay. Grab a tricorder. You’re coming with us.”

Taitt nodded, rising from her station. 

“Commander.” Stadi rose from conn. “I caught a vague sense of someone or something when we were on the farm the first time,” she said. “I might be able to aim us in the right direction once we’re onboard.”

“You’re with us, then.” Cavit turned to Rollins. “Contact sickbay and have Dr. Fizgerald examine some of the crew. See if we can learn what was done to us. And keep a lock on us.”

Rollins nodded. “Aye, sir.”

Cavit turned back to the viewscreen. “They’ve kidnapped us, poked us, and taken two of our people. This time, we’re going armed.”

*

Cavit circled the whole farm clockwise with Taitt and Stadi, while Ro and the Bolian went in the other direction, but this time, no one came out to greet them. When they were almost back at the front of the house, Taitt shook her head.

“No humanoid lifesigns.”

“I’m not sensing them either, Commander,” Stadi said. She gripped one of the new pulse compression phaser rifles casually, her dark eyes moving around as though she was looking for things he couldn’t see.

Taitt lowered her tricorder. “I don’t think they’re on the array.”

“What about whoever is in charge?”

“I still feel something,” Stadi said. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Commander.”

“I think we can help with that,” Ro said, approaching with the Bolian. She gestured beyond them, and they all turned.

The old man, the one with the banjo, was sitting on a bench. He strummed it idly.

“Hologram?” Cavit said.

“No,” Stadi said. “No, he’s the presence. He’s not human, despite what he looks like.”

“He’ll know where our people are,” Ro said.

Cavit had to agree. They started toward the old man as a group.

“You still with us, Rollins?” Cavit said, pitching his voice low.

“Aye, commander.” They still had their channel, then.

Then the old man noticed them, he stopped playing, and his expression darkened with annoyance. “Oh, why have you come back? You don’t have what I need.”

Ro and Cavit shared a glance.

“What you need?” Cavit said. “How about what you _took_ from us? You’ve got two of our people. Give them back.”

“Really. Demands?” The man’s annoyance was gone in a breath, replaced by amusement. “Aren’t you contentious for a minor bipedal species?”

“We tend to be, when we’ve been kidnapped,” Cavit said.

“Oh, it was necessary.” The old man waved a hand.

“Where did you take our crew?” Ro said.

“They are no longer here,” the man said, barely glancing at her.

Cavit swallowed. “No longer here” could cover a multitude of sins. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t have what I need,” the man said again, then raised one finger. “But they might. No, you’ll have to leave them.”

“Not likely,” Ro said.

“She’s right,” Cavit said. “We’re not leaving them behind. But does that mean you can send us home?”

The old man ignored his question. “I have no choice. I need them. There is not enough time left.”

“For what?” Ro said.

“I must honour a debt that can never be repaid, but my search has not been going well.” The old man’s voice cracked, borderline sorrowful.

“What is it you need?” Cavit said. “If we can, we’ll help you.”

“You?” The old man snorted. “I’ve searched the galaxy with methods beyond your comprehension.” His amusement faded again, dropping into melancholy. “No. There’s nothing you can do.”

“We can try,” Cavit said. “And if you give us back our crew, and promise to send us back, we will do everything in our power to help you.”

“Send you back?” The old man shook his head. “Sending you back is terribly complicated. Don’t you understand? I don’t have time.” His voice rose. “ _Not enough time_!”

He waved his arm, and their group was back on Voyager’s bridge.

“Damn it,” Cavit said.

On the viewscreen, another pulse flashed out of the array and off into the distance.

*

Honigsberg grunted, shifting slightly. It took him a second to realize he was lying down, and he couldn’t remember how that had come to be. There’d been a barn…

 _He's regaining consciousness_.

The words weren’t spoken, but he heard them just the same. A woman’s voice, gentle with compassion.

He opened his eyes, and sure enough, a woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile, in a white robe, her neck and hair partly wrapped in a gauzy white linen, stood over him.

 _How do you feel?_ Another voice. Male. Honigsberg turned his head and saw an older man in similar attire regarding him, too.

“You’re telepaths,” he said. He shifted his weight, trying to sit up. “Where am I?”

“Please don’t try to move yet,” the woman said, touching his shoulder. “You are very ill.”

“Pardon?” Honigsberg frowned. He wasn’t sick. He pulled himself up on the bed, then stopped as he noticed his clothes. They’d taken his uniform, and he was wearing a plain white shirt. “I’m not sick, I promise,” he said, finally managing to sit up. “If you could just tell me where—“ He winced, and glanced down. Just beneath the cloth of the shirt, there was a lump high on his chest. He stared at it for a long moment, then took inventory of the rest of himself.

He found another growth on his left forearm.

“Ah,” he said. “Ill.”

The doctor moved to the other side of the small room, and Honigsberg noticed the woman in the other bed for the first time. A Trill, by the markings on her temples and neck. The woman stirred suddenly, and jerked awake.

“What? Who are you?”

She frowned.

“I’m not telepathic,” she said.

“Ah,” the man said out loud.

“Hello,” Honigsberg said, and she turned to face him. “Is she sick, too?” Honigsberg said.

“Yes,” the man said. “You both are.”

“What?” the woman said, and Honigsberg watched her more or less play out the same scenario he’d just lived, only the growths in her case were on the back of her right hand, and near her left ear.

She put a hand over her stomach defensively. “Did you harm the symbiont?”

The man frowned, exchanging a glance with the kind-eyed woman who was still standing beside Honigsberg’s bed.

“Maybe we should start at the beginning,” Honigsberg said, seeing their clear confusion. “I’m Lieutenant Alexander Honigsberg, of the Federation Starship Voyager.” He looked at his fellow abductee, smiling and raising an eyebrow in a ‘follow my lead’ message he hoped she understood.

“Sahreen Lan,” she said, meeting his gaze and raising one eyebrow. “Of the Maquis ship Li Nalas.”

Ah. Maquis. Well, that explained the generally grumpy disposition.

“Welcome,” the old man said. “I am Ruce, and this is Nen.”

“Are we still on the array?” Honigsberg said.

The man shook his head. “No. You are with the Ocampa now.”

Honigsberg exhaled. Lan let out a similar noise of frustration.

They were sick. They had no idea where they were. _And who the hell are the Ocampa_?

*

 _First Officer's Log, Stardate 48315.5: Repairs are underway. I've learned we lost our assistant engineer, Lieutenant Carey, but Lieutenant Durst is doing an admirable job given the Chief's absence. Doctor Fitzgerald reports the crew are fine, but we all had a minute number of cells removed, the purpose of which is unclear but seems to suggest assessment. That the lifeform on the array said we didn't have what he needs, and that Honigsberg and Lan might have whatever it is he is looking for, has left me all the more worried about them_. 

The chime knocked Cavit out of Lieutenant Durst’s repair estimates. He put the PADD beside him on the ready room couch, and looked up.

“Come.”

Doctor Fitzgerald entered, alongside Lieutenant Taitt. Fitzgerald carried a medical tricorder with him. The science officer carried a PADD. Cavit caught Fitzgerald’s glance at the captain’s desk, and the little frown that followed before he circled around behind the couch where Cavit was sitting.

“I thought about ordering you back to sick-bay for your follow-up, but I decided on a house call,” Fitzgerald said, opening his tricorder, transferring it to his left hand carefully, and pulling out the scanner. Cavit noticed his left hand was still covered in a glove. Fitzgerald caught him looking, and nodded at Taitt. “Go ahead Lieutenant. Just pretend I’m not here. Commander Cavit does it all the time.”

Taitt smiled, obviously amused, then turned her attention to Cavit. “I’ve got a preliminary report on the array,” she said, holding out the PADD. “I’m afraid there are more questions than answers.”

“Do you have a quick way home?” Cavit said, taking it.

Taitt’s eyebrows rose. “Not yet, sir. Still working on the tricorder readings from inside the array. I’ve got three things for you, mainly. One, the energy pulses the array is sending? They’re speeding up.”

“Speeding up?” Cavit said.

“They’re a little over four seconds closer together than when we first got here. It’s aimed at the fifth planet of the neighbouring star system. Whatever or whoever the array is transferring power to on the planet, either needs more for some reason, or is banking extra.” She paused. “But the second thing is more important. I’m pretty sure some of the pulses included matter transfer as well as energy.”

“So Honigsberg and Lan could have been transported to the planet,” Cavit said. He tapped the PADD and saw Taitt’s readings. He had to agree. One one of the radiant energy transfers, it looked like there was an embedded transporter signal, albeit one quite different than they used.

“That’s my guess, sir.”

“And the planet itself?”

“That’s the third thing,” Taitt said. “And it’s even more confusing. Despite what I’m fairly certain are former ocean beds and the planet otherwise sitting clearly in Class-M, here are no nucleogenic particles in the atmosphere.”

Cavit shook his head. That made zero sense.

“Nucleogenic particles?” Fitzgerald said.

“I know you’re supposed to ignore him,” Cavit said, “but why don’t you tell the good doctor why that’s an issue.”

“It means there’s no rain on the planet,” Taitt said. “I can’t even conceive of the environmental disaster responsible for that sort of effect. And while long-range sensors detect what could be signs of ruins, as well as scattered life signs on the surface of the planet, I have no idea where that power the array is sending is going. Not from this distance.”

Fitzgerald finally put away the scanner, and closed his tricorder. He didn’t leave, though, instead moving to the windows to look out at the stars.

“Sounds like we should get a closer look,” Cavit said.

Taitt took a breath. “I’m not sure what else I can tell you from here, sir.”

“Good work,” Cavit said. “Keep an eye on the array, and let me know if anything else changes.”

“Yes, sir,” Taitt said, rising. A moment later, she was gone.

Cavit eyed Fitzgerald. “I’m guessing there’s something you wanted to say in private? If it’s about my concussion, I swear I’m not having any more symptoms.”

Fitzgerald turned. “You going to use that desk, Aaron?”

Cavit blew out a breath.

The doctor made his way back to the couch, and sat beside him. “You’re the ranking officer.”

“I know,” Cavit said. “Every first officer knows. It’s the worst case scenario. It means we failed the most important part of our job.”

Fitzgerald leaned back. “You didn’t fail. No one failed. We got yanked across the galaxy and by some miracle the ship didn’t completely fall apart. That’s not on you.”

“How’s your hand?” Cavit said. He noticed Fitzgerald had barely used his left hand at all.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“ _Jeff_.”

“Terrible. It’s terrible,” Fitzgerald said. “Severe nerve damage. And if we’re trading confessions, I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to recover, or if it’s possible to recover at all. At least it’s my left hand.”

The two men stared at each other for a few seconds. Over the last year, they’d gotten to know each other pretty well, and Cavit knew just how hard Fitzgerald was working to keep his composure.

“What are you going to do?” Fitzgerald finally asked, breaking the silence.

“I’m going to take us to that planet. Maybe Honigsberg is there, maybe not, but right now it’s the only option we’ve got. I think the Maquis will want to come with us.” He looked at Fitzgerald’s hand again. “What are you going to do?”

“If I had access to a starbase with a full medical team, implants, or hell, even genetronics? I’d know exactly what to do. But I don’t have access to any of that, so…” Fitzgerald blew out a breath. “I’m going to have to wait and see. The current plan is to work with neural impulse transmitters. T’Prena is already replicating a series of them, and I should be able to get myself to eighty percent manual dexterity, assuming there’s no further neural degradation.” He cracked a wan smile. “I’m not going to be performing microsurgery any time soon.”

“How about we find Alex, get the hell home, and find you a starbase then?”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Fitzgerald said. He rose, but paused at the ready-room door. “In the meantime?”

Cavit waited.

“Use the desk, Aaron.” The ready-room door closed behind him.

Cavit took a deep breath, then picked up the PADD and headed for the bridge. They needed to finish repairs and get moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gay holograms for the win! (Honigsberg turning out to be gay is my unburying a gay.)
> 
> It also struck me that the Caretaker snatched people away from sickbay, and he didn't seem like the sort to give a crap about any injuries they might have had, so Fitzgerald's arm gets three days of no attention here, and that's bad.


	6. Act V

_Science Officer’s log, supplemental: We’ve plotted a course to the fifth planet. Long-range sensors detected multiple debris fields in our way of varying ages, which might indicate multiple battles, so Commander Cavit decided to give them a wide berth, and maintain Yellow Alert. I intend to use the time to further my understanding of the array that brought us here, and hopefully have a plan for getting us home._

_Personal Log, supplemental: Before I dive into the readings I got from the array, I need to meet with my team. I don’t think I’ve ever dreaded a task more._

*

The corridors of deck five were mostly restored, though Taitt caught sight of a Vulcan ensign working in a panel further down the hallway, outside the furthest lab. She paused just outside a door, far enough away not to activate the motion sensor, and eyed the writing.

Stellar Cartography.

She tried to imagine what James Barnaby would say if she saw her standing there, trying to build up the confidence to step inside.

 _Not feeling accurate, Zandra_? _Accurate_ had become a part of their preferred playful banter over the last year, and had turned a rocky start into a friendship she really treasured. God, she wished he was here. She’d almost sought out Lieutenant Russell, another Enterprise transfer, just for the comfort of a familiar face, but they hadn’t known each other anywhere near as well.

“Not feeling accurate at all, Jimmy,” she said quietly, then stepped forward anyway.

Three people turned to see who came in, and Taitt had to force herself not to flinch at the sight of their faces. She’d barely interacted with any of them—a brief visit before they’d launched from Deep Space Nine—but Crewman Telfer looked markedly different. The younger man had already been somewhat pale when she’d met him, but now he looked almost ashen, with dark smears under his eyes.

Beside him, Ensign Hickman, who Zandra had met on the bridge, seemed to be missing the spark she’d aimed Taitt’s way when they’d met there. Her hair was pulled up and back simply, rather than styled as she’d had it on the bridge.

Their third, Ensign Murphy, looked somewhat stronger than the other two, which was to be expected. He’d been assigned to engineering when he array had brought them here. He hadn’t been witness like the other two.

Three people.

There should have been eight in this lab alone.

The silence lasted a moment too long, and Taitt forced herself to break it.

“I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now,” she said. “And there’s nothing I could possibly say to make it better. I’ve only been on Voyager for a short while, but I know what it was like with my fellow science officers on Enterprise. You become a family.”

Telfer swallowed. Murphy nodded. Hickman managed a weak smile.

“When we get through this—and we _will_ get through this—I’m going to make sure you all have all the time and support you need, but right now, our shot at getting home comes down to understanding that array, and the data I gathered is all we’ve got to work with.” She held up her tricorder, even though she’d already downloaded the data into the lab’s library. “I’ve sent the data to the Maquis ship as well, but I think we know who’s going to figure this out, right?”

Hickman's smile returned. It was there and gone again in a flash, but it had been there.

Taitt felt the smallest rush of relief. They could do this.

“Telfer, I want you to focus on targetting. The array created that wave so close to us we didn’t have time to get away from it. The accuracy can’t be an accident.”

“Yes, lieutenant,” the crewman said, and went to a station, sitting down and calling up data.

“Murphy, if you can come up with some idea of the interface, we might not need the array owner’s help to get home. There’s only one lifeform on board, and I’m assuming the array has to be heavily automated. I’m not above hijacking his system if you’re not.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all, ma’am,” Hickman said, taking the console beside Telfer.

Taitt turned to Murphy, but Murphy spoke first.

“I had an idea about how we got here. It reminded me of something I’d read about soliton wave theory.”

“Let’s hear it,” Taitt said.

“It’s not the getting somewhere that’s the problem,” Murphy said. “It’s the arriving in one piece. Here. Let me show you.” He led the way to a display, where Taitt saw he'd already begun setting up a model.

They got to work.

*

Honigsberg had been sitting up in his bed for about ten minutes when Sahreen Lan jerked awake with a short cry.

“You okay?” he said.

She glanced around their small room. “We still locked in?”

“That’s a yes.”

“Then no. I’m not okay.”

“I was actually hoping that once you were awake you’d be up for a little jailbreak,” Honigsberg said. “I want to see if I can crack the lock on that door.”

“That’s awfully criminal for a Starfleet officer,” Lan said, shifting her feet off the side of her bed. “I like it.”

They both rose. Honigsberg tried to take stock of himself, but beyond a vague fatigue he felt more-or-less okay. “You up for this?” he said, just to make sure.

“Absolutely. I don’t see any sort of obvious access panel.” She eyed the frame of the door, then narrowed her eyes. “Unless that little dimple there isn’t just architectural flair.”

Honigsberg eyed the rest of the room with critical eyes. “These people don’t seem to do flair. It’s grey, off-grey, and white.”

They moved to the door, and he ran his fingers over the slight indent. “If it’s a sensor, it’s not answering to me.” He stepped aside, and Lan tried.

Predictably, nothing happened for her, either.

“Worth a shot,” he said.

“Now we try to pry it open?” she said.

“Now we try to pry it open.”

Honigsberg had just crouched down to see if he could spot any sort of seam when the door opened. The Ocampan doctor was back.

“Hi,” Honigsberg said, as if he wasn’t crouched more-or-less eye-level with the man’s stomach. He straightened with what he hoped passed for nonchalance.

“I hope you're feeling better,” Ruce said. “I know how frightening all this must be for both of you. I've brought some clothes if you'd care to change.”

“Ah. Grey,” Honigsberg noted, holding up the first of the bundles Ruce handed him. He was pretty sure Lan’s lips almost smiled. Progress at last. “Why don’t you take the brown,” he said, handing it to her.

“Thanks.” She eyed the small area. “Does this mean we can leave this room?”

“You are not prisoners,” Ruce said, shaking his head. “In fact, we consider you honoured guests. The Caretaker has sent you to us. If you’re feeling well enough, you are free to leave your quarters.”

“About that,” Honigsberg said. “The growths. What are they?”

“We really don't know,” Ruce said. “You must be hungry. Why don’t you both change. Then you could both join me on the courtyard for a meal?"

Honigsberg glanced at Lan. She nodded.

“Okay,” he said.

Ruce stepped back, and the door closed behind him.

“I’ll turn my back,” Honigsberg said, already pulling the plain white shirt over his head. “What do you think the odds are on the food being good?”

“If it comes in more than grey and brown I’ll consider it a win,” Lan said, her voice dry.

Honigsberg laughed. He was definitely getting through to the Trill.

*

Once they changed, they walked with Ruce out the main doors of the medical facility and into a huge, cavern-like space. Honigsberg looked up, surprised. The sheer size of the enclosure was incredible, and up above, he could glimpse solid rock. Triangular support columns lined the area, and light approximating sunlight lit the entirety of the open space. The whole was impressive, if still often almost uniformly shades of white and grey.

A deep thrum pulsed in the distance. It reminded Honigsberg of the warp engines on Voyager.

“Our food dispensers are right this way,” the Ocampa man said.

“Is your whole city underground?” Honigsberg said. The level of engineering required for this was far more than he’d been crediting to Ruce and Nen’s people. He followed, noticing for the first time how he and Lan were gathering attention. Ocampa were staring. Some had even started to follow them.

Ruce nodded, smiling. “Our society is subterranean. We've lived here for over five hundred generations.”

Lan, who’d been staring up at the support pillars, turned back to him. “But the surface is inhabitable?”

Honigsberg had wondered the same thing. There weren’t a lot of reasons to devote this much effort to living underground. He hoped there was a surface they could get to.

Even more people were watching them now. Some were just openly staring.

“It used to be. Until the Warming began,” Ruce said.

“The Warming?” Honigsberg said.

“When our surface turned into a desert and the Caretaker came to protect us. Our ancient journals tell us he opened a deep chasm in the ground and led our ancestors to this place.”

Honigsberg digested that, wondering if it was mythology or something else. “I see.”

“Since then he has provided for all our needs.”

Not mythology then. Honigsberg opened his mouth to ask another question, but it was becoming a little crowded in the laneway. He shifted. Lan, beside him, flinched away when an Ocampan woman got a little too close.

“Please forgive them. They know you've come from the Caretaker. None of us has ever seen him,” Ruce said.

“They’ve never seen their Caretaker,” Lan said, pitching her voice low. “And that sound.”

Honigsberg nodded, on the same page. “Those pulses we saw coming off the array.”

“This way, please.” Ruce was just ahead of them.

They’d arrived at a series of dispensers, near a seating area beneath large screens displaying images of clouds, waterfalls, sunsets, and other natural scenes. Ruce gestured, despite the line of people waiting their turn.

Honigsberg stepped ahead, and pulled out a small bowl of what appeared to be a brown paste. He showed it to Lan.

“Brown,” she said.

He took a bite, chewing and swallowing with a bit of effort. “Describes the flavour, too.” 

Lan turned to Ruce. “The Caretaker runs this, too?” She pointed at screens and the dispensers.

“In fact, he does.” The man seemed almost proud of it. “He designed and built this entire city for us after the Warming. The food processors dispense nutritional supplements every four point one intervals. It may not offer the exotic tastes some of our younger people crave these days, but it meets our needs.”

Honigsberg looked up. “Does he use those screens to communicate with you? How can we reach him?”

Ruce blinked, as though the idea were completely alien to him.”He never communicates directly. We try to interpret his wishes as best we can, but we cannot speak to him.”

Honigsberg deflated.

Lan had retrieved her own bowl, and took a bite. Her expression flattened a bit before she swallowed. “Yeah. That’s… brown. So why do you think we’re here? Why did the Caretaker send us to you?”

“We believe he must have separated you from your own species for their protection.”

Honigsberg frowned. “Pardon?”

“From your illness,” Ruce said. “Perhaps he's trying to prevent a plague.”

Lan shook her head. “Except we were healthy right up until your Caretaker snatched us from our ship.”

Honigsberg winced at Lan’s bluntness, but she wasn’t wrong.

“I don’t know about that.” Ruce seemed genuine enough. “From time to time, he asks us to care for people with this disease. It's the least we can do.”

“Wait. There are more of us?” Honigsberg said.

Ruce’s expression softened. “There have been.”

“Can you take us to them?” Lan said.

“Understand, your condition is serious.” The man said, not quite answering her question. “We don't know exactly how to treat it.” He swallowed. “I’m afraid the others did not recover.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With apologies to Neelix fans, I'm afraid I'm going to leave him in the debris field.
> 
> I always liked the dynamic between Taitt and Barnaby in "Descent, Part II," and since I decided she was going to be the lost (but now not lost) science officer for Voyager, I couldn't resist a wee callback.


	7. Act VI

“Standard orbit, Lieutenant,” Cavit said.

“Aye, sir,” Stadi said. Once Voyager was in orbit, she turned her attention fully to the planet on the viewscreen, only half-hearing Cavit order Taitt to begin scanning for human or Trill lifesigns.

“I’m getting sparse, scattered life signs all over the planet,” Taitt said, a few moments later. There are only a few areas with any concentration of humanoid life, and none of those match Honigsberg or Lan.”

Stadi frowned. She closed her eyes, concentrating. If she cleared her mind, tried to empty it of her own stream of consciousness and the hum she was used to from Voyager’s crew, she could just barely grasp at the edges of a familiar susurrus.

“What about the energy pulses, Lieutenant?” Cavit’s voice receded as Stadi worked to filter what was all around her out of the front of her mind.

“They’re striking a point in what was once a southern continent, near an extinct volcanic range. No lifesigns there, there could be some sort of receiving system beneath the surface,” Taitt said.

No. That wasn’t what Stadi was feeling. Not at all.

“There are a lot of people here,” Stadi said, opening her eyes. She turned. Both Taitt and Cavit waited for her. “I’m sensing a lot of minds, more than your readings account for. I’m willing to lay odds they’re telepathic.”

Taitt eyed her readings. “It’s possible they’re shielded somehow, or just don’t register on our sensors.”

“What’s the closest settlement to where the energy pulses from the array touch down?” Cavit said.

“Here,” Taitt said, tapping her panel. The viewscreen changed to a mostly yellow-toned rectangle, lacking variation at first. It took Stadi a second to spot the scattering of structures beneath shifting clouds of dust. “It looks like it could be a small mining facility of some kind.”

Cavit nodded. “Contact the Li Nalas. We’re going to pay those miners a visit and see if they know anything about our people, that array, or any telepaths.” He turned to Stadi. “Taitt, Stadi, you’re with me.”

“Aye, sir.” Stadi rose.

“You have the bridge, Rollins,” Cavit said, pausing at his station. “You getting used to it yet?”

“Aye, Commander,” Rollins said, though it wasn’t clear if he was answering the question or just acknowledging the order. Stadi fired him a small smile as she passed.

As they stepped into the turbolift, Cavit glanced up. “Transporter room one.”

*

She’d never experienced air so dry. Stadi resisted a cough as she materialized, squinting in the glare of a near constant yellow haze that spread off in every direction as far as she could see. The structures Taitt had mentioned looked even less remarkable up close, a series of simple stone shelters for the most part, cobbled together and built alongside or incorporating structures that looked to be ruined. She shielded her gaze with one hand, spotting taller ruins in the distance, and what might have even been remains of some sort of ancient roadway.

Everything was coated in the yellow dust.

A cry caught their attention, and they turned. A young humanoid had spotted them, but was running off before they could so much as speak, though his thoughts were perfectly clear to Stadi. Stadi watched the youth vanish into some of the nearby structures, and caught sight of what appeared to be two shuttle-sized ships beyond.

“Stadi?” Cavit asked. He and Ro were to her left, Taitt and Ro’s Bolian companion, Cing’ta, to her right.

“We frightened him,” Stadi said. “Appearing out of thin air. I don’t think they have transporter technology.”

“Nice place,” Taitt said, squinting into the haze. She pulled out her tricorder.

“People don’t always live in places like this by choice,” Ro said.

“Cormaline deposits. And there’s a latticework of kelbonite.” Taitt looked up. “Either would be useful, and kelbonite explains why our sensors aren’t getting anything far beyond the surface here.”

“Let’s go say hello,” Cavit said. He turned to Stadi, his blue eyes checking in in a way that had become second-hand over the last year, a request for her to speak up if she sensed danger. She nodded at him.

“These ruins are about two thousand years old,” Taitt said. “What caused this?”

“Maybe they can tell us,” Ro said. People were coming out of the structure now, and they weren’t built like the lean youth who’d run from them. No, the man standing front and centre was tall and wide, and flanked by similarly imposing companions. Russet skinned, they had cranial ridges that looped around the edges of their foreheads, and instead of hair they seemed to grow something rougher, perhaps keratin. They didn’t seem to dress in any style showing hierarchy, but they were armed.

“Hello,” Cavit called out, clearly wanting to take the lead and set a friendly tone. “I’m Commander Aaron Cavit of the Federation Starship Voyager. We’d hoped you might be able to help us.”

“Maje Jabin. _Commander_ ,” the large man said, clearly not liking the word. Stadi sensed the inherent distrust at the title. “I’m told you appeared out of thin air.”

“Our ship is in orbit,” Cavit said. “We have a technology that allows us to transfer matter from one place to another.”

“Impressive. And yet you need our help?” Jabin said.

“We’re a long way from home, and we’re trying to recover two of our crew,” Cavit began, but Jabin interrupted him.

“The entity in space brought your ship here? Took your people?”

Cavit nodded. “That’s right.”

“Then they are gone.” Jabin said. “We’ve seen it before, many times. Some ships stay for some time, trying to recover their people, but they never succeed. Eventually they leave, though some challenge one of our sects and are destroyed. The entity never helps them. The entity only cares for the Ocampa.”

“Are you the Ocampa?” Cavit said. “Is that why the entity sends power to the planet?”

Jabin shook his head, laughing without much real amusement. “We are the Kazon-Ogla. We hold the territory around this planet.”

He wasn’t exactly lying, Stadi sensed, but he was certainly exaggerating. His thoughts turned to two other groups—the Kazon-Nistrim and the Kazon-Relora—and how he might use Voyager’s technology to finally gain the upper hand with them. His hold on this planet wasn’t as tight as he was letting on, and he was worried about his people, especially with the entity in the array acting strangely of late.

“And the Ocampa?” Cavit said.

“They live underground,” Jabin said. “We cannot get to them. The entity protects them behind a barrier we cannot penetrate, with the only source of water on the whole planet. Why, we have no idea. They’re worthless creatures. They only live nine years. They make poor servants…” He tilted his head behind him, and Stadi noticed a slim young woman peeking around the corner of the entrance to the structure. Blond haired, with fairer skin than the Kazon-Ogla and definitely of a different species, the girl had dark bruising around one eye.

“She is Ocampa,” Jabin said.

Stadi caught the woman’s gaze. Almost immediately, there was a sense of connection.

 _You’re telepathic_. The Ocampan woman’s thoughts were clear.

 _I am_ , Stadi said. _Most of my crew is not_. _My name is Veronica Stadi_.

 _I’m Kes_.

She caught Commander’s attention long enough to offer the smallest nod.

“If she came to the surface,” Ro said. “Does that mean there’s a way back down?”

Jabin shook his head. “They sometimes wander to the surface, but they seal the tunnels afterwards.”

 _Could you help us find our people_? Stadi asked.

 _Yes_. The woman’s thoughts were confident, and willing. _If you have it, offer them water_.

It took Stadi a second to understand, but she recalled what Taitt had said about the planet, and what Jabin said about the Ocampa having only water source on the planet.

“Do you need water?” she said, speaking up for the first time.

Cavit glanced at her, and she gave him another small nod. He tilted his head, giving her the lead.

Maje Jabin turned to her. “Who doesn’t need water?” His thoughts, on the other hand, were clear. His people absolutely needed water.

“Of course.” Stadi nodded. “We could supply you with some. If you’d let her help us find our people?”

“You'd be wasting your time. I've used every method of persuasion I know to get her to help us,” Jabin said. Stadi had to force herself not to delve too deeply into his thoughts as he considered his previous ‘persuasions.’ “She won’t.”

“We’d be willing to take that risk,” Cavit said.

Jabin exhaled. “You’re willing to trade water for her when you don’t even know if she’ll help you?” He wasn’t sure if Cavit was planning to double-cross him in some way or not, but the offer was too tempting. His people needed the water.

“It’s worth it to us,” Ro said. “To get our people back.” Ro didn’t bother to mention how easy it was for Voyager to create water.

Jabin nodded.

Cavit tabbed his combadge. “Cavit to Voyager. Rollins, I’d like you to beam down some water to our co-ordinates.” He paused. “How many people do you have here?”

Jabin frowned, considering how giving Cavit that information might make him vulnerable. After a moment, he seemed to come to terms with the risk. “Thirty eight,” he said. “But Kazon-Ogla ships are always within range.” It wasn’t a particularly subtle threat, but Stadi got the impression the Kazon-Ogla didn’t rely much on subtlety.

“Enough water for thirty-eight people for a week, Rollins,” Cavit said.

“Aye sir.” Rollins paused. “Give me a few minutes.”

It took him less than four. Two large containers materialized nearby.

Jabin nodded to one of the people with him. The man sprinted off to check the container, turning the faucet after puzzling it out and filling his hand with water, sipping it. “It’s clean,” the man said. “It’s water.”

“This technology of yours,” Jabin said. “I’d be interested in trading you for it.”

Cavit shook his head. “The transporter is integrated into Voyager. But we’ll be happy to offer you more aid if we find our people.”

Jabin took a long moment with that. The man definitely heard the hard line in Cavit’s reply, and was wondering just how tough Voyager might be. For now, the man chose the easier win, and waved one hand.

“Go,” he said, not even bothering to look at the Ocampan woman.

The woman dashed from the structure, joining their group.

“If you find your people,” Jabin said. “Remember to come back.”

“We will,” Cavit said. He tapped his combadge again. “Cavit to Voyager. Six to beam up.”

The planet vanished in a wash of blue energy, and they appeared on the transporter pad.

“Nicely done, lieutenant,” Cavit turned to her.

“Commander Cavit,” Stadi said. “This is Kes. Kes, this is Commander Cavit, Lieutenant Taitt, Ro Laren, and Cing’ta.”

“Hello,” Kes said. Her bruising was even worse up close.

“Let’s get you to sick-bay,” Cavit said, nodding at Taitt. Taitt took the lead and walked the woman off the transporter pad and out of the transporter room.

Stadi waited for the door to close behind her, then turned to the others. “Jabin cares for his people, but he’s not someone we should trust long-term.”

“I got that impression,” Cavit said.

“And his hold on this area of space isn’t as tight as he’d have you believe,” Stadi said. “He’d really like our technology to keep some of his enemies at bay. I get the impression these Kazon sects don’t work together.”

Ro pulled out a hand-held communicator. “Ro to Li Nalas.”

“Go ahead,” someone said.

“Keep an eye on long-range sensors. If any ships head this way, I want to know about it.”

“Will do.”

Ro shrugged. “He mentioned other ships.”

“Good idea.” Cavit nodded. “Let’s see if our new friend can help us find our people before any ships get here. Stadi, go relieve Rollins, and have him start scanning, too.”

“Aye, sir,” she said.

*

Honigsberg took a moment just to eye the columns and rows and did rough math.

“About seventy,” he said.

Beside him, Lan didn’t say anything, only staring straight ahead at the wall in the decorative garden Ruce had finally agreed to take them to after making it perfectly clear they weren’t going to back down. He hadn’t lingered with them, leaving almost the moment they’d arrived. Honigsberg wondered if it was painful for the man.

Most of the scripts were alien to him, and often in pairs, but even with only a tiny space given to each series of symbols, the list was a long one.

“Do you think this was everyone, or did they only start asking people to write their names down after none were surviving?” Lan said.

Honigsberg didn’t know. But as he looked up and down the names, something caught his eye near the bottom. He knelt down, getting closer to the small notation. “That’s Vulcan script. I can’t read it, but I recognize it.”

Lan crouched beside him. “Cardassian.” She pointed, a few notations later. A pair of them. “Two names, and ranks. A glinn and a dalin.”

“We found a small Cardassian ship near the array,” Honigsberg said. “But no Cardassians.”

“That’s our ship, probably,” Lan said.

Honigsberg eyed her.

“We stole it.” She shrugged.

“Ah.” Honigsberg grinned, then looked back at the names. A second later all trace of humour leeched from him, replaced by something cold. He touched one of the final names. “Look.”

“Captain Rudolph Ransom.” Lan read the name. “It’s written in Federation standard. Was he Starfleet? Do you—did you—know him?”

Honigsberg shook his head. “No, but whoever he was…” Honigsberg let his hand drop from the marker. “Let’s not share his fate, shall we? Someone here has to have some sort of technology we can access. Voyager wouldn’t leave us behind. We need to reach them before this… whatever it is… gets worse.” He held out his arm, where one of the growths had risen on the skin near his wrist.

“Given the progression, it looks like it could be anything from a disease to tissue rejection to me,” Lan said, “Or perhaps a particularly virulent viral growth, though these Ocampa don’t seem to worry about us spreading anything to them.”

Honigsberg raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were an engineer. You have medical training?”

“I am an engineer,” she said. “But Pasha Lan, my first host, was a biologist. She liked single celled organisms more than she liked most people.”

“Well, in fairness there are some pretty nice single-celled organisms out there,” Honigsberg said. He rose, then winced, touching his chest. The growth there burned.

“Are you in pain?”

They both turned, surprised. Nen, the nurse from the hospital room they’d woken up in, stood a few feet away, at the edge of the small garden.

Lan frowned. “Are you following us?”

“I was coming to give you something. I don't know if it'll help. It's a medicine. There are people who have broken from tradition and left the city. Their colony grows fruits and vegetables. They discovered quite by accident that the moss that grows on certain fruit trees has healing properties.” She handed Lan a small container full of powder. “I’m sorry for what has happened to you.”

Lan looked at the powder. “Thank you, but herbalism isn’t going to save us, is it?” She nodded at the wall of names behind them.

Nen couldn’t meet her gaze.

“Is there any technology we could use to reach our people? Anyone who could get us to the surface?” Honigsberg said.

“The elders would say that's against the Caretaker's wishes,” Nen said.

Honigsberg exhaled, trying to rein in his frustration, but Lan leaned forward.

“You’re not an elder, though, are you, Nen?”

Nen closed her eyes for a moment, then shook her head. “The Caretaker's been behaving strangely for the past several months,” she said. “Abducting people, increasing the power supply.”

Honigsberg frowned. “Your power supply?”

Nen nodded. “He's tripled the energy he sends us. They say we have enough stored now to run the city for five years.”

Honigsberg swallowed. In no scenario he could come up with was that a good sign. “Has that ever happened before?”

Nen shook her head. “When we ask, we're told to trust the Caretaker's decisions.”

“Can you help us get to the surface?” Lan said.

“One person I knew did get to the surface,” Nen admited. “But we never saw her again.”

Honigsberg and Lan shared a glance.

“How?” Lan said.

“The ancient tunnels that brought us here still exist. Over the years, small breaches in security barriers have appeared just large enough for someone to get through.” Nen shook her head. “But it still requires digging through metres of rock to get out.”

Honigsberg took the woman’s hands. “Then we’re going to need a pickaxe, at the very least.”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand. It would take days, maybe even weeks to break through. You have to rest. Conserve your strength.”

Honigsberg squeezed. “Nen. Please.”

The Ocampa woman closed her eyes again.

 _I’ll help you_. Her voice echoed in their minds.

*

Doctor Fitzgerald and Nurse T’Prena were already treating Kes by the time Cavit, Ro and Cing’ta arrived. She lay on one of the bio-beds, T’Prena operating the dermal regenerator while Doctor Fitzgerald took scans with a medical tricorder. Cavit thought she looked better already.

“Doctor?”

“She’s going to be fine,” he said, meeting Cavit’s gaze. A quiet anger telegraphed in his eyes. “She’s had a rough time of it.”

“I never should have gone to the surface,” Kes said. “I’m too curious. I'm told it's my worst failing.”

T’Prena finished, stepping away from where she lay. The bruises from her face were all but gone, the barest traces of them almost invisible to the eye.

“We consider it a guiding principle,” Cavit said, smiling at her.

Kes sat up. She held up her hand, turning it, clearly surprised she felt no pain. “This is incredible,” she said. “Your healing ability.”

“We’re happy we could help,” Cavit said. “Is there any chance you could take us underground to look for our missing crew?”

Kes’s gentle features fell. “I'm afraid Jabin was right. There's no way to get down. The tunnel I came out has been sealed.”

“That might not matter,” Cavit said. “We can transport there with the same technology we used to bring you on board Voyager.”

Taitt, who’d been standing to the side while the doctor and nurse worked, spoke up. “Our scans didn’t find them, Commander. That barrier Jabin talked about? If it blocks our sensors, it very well might also block our transporter.”

That was true. Damnit.

Kes brightened. “There are breaches in the security barrier where it's begun to decay. That's how I got out.”

“Taitt?” Cavit said.

“If we can find a breach, we might be able to get in.”

“If Lieutenant Taitt showed you a map of where we found you,” Cavit said, “could you tell us where you came to the surface?”

“I can try.”

“Come with me,” Taitt said, and the two left sickbay together.

Cavit turned to Ro. “Do you want to go back to your ship, or stick around and see if we can find a way down?”

“If we can stay, we’ll go with you,” Ro said.

The big Bolian just nodded. Quiet guy, Cavit thought, deciding if he could help it, he never wanted to piss the fellow off.

*

Cavit, Taitt, Ro, Cing’ta and Kes shimmered into a small, open cavern lined with rows of growing plants, with tall white arches framing the greenery, and a small group of Ocampan people tending them. It was lit, and warm, and—to Taitt’s pleasure—not at all dry or dusty. Taitt pulled out her tricorder and smiled. “Right on target,” she said.

“Were you worried?” the big Bolian asked, frowning.

Taitt waved a hand. He blinked.

They could hear the thrumming of the energy bursts from the array. Taitt frowned, and checked her tricorder.

“Commander,” she said. “The pulses are getting even faster.”

“Why doesn’t that feel like a good thing?” Ro said.

“Agreed,” Cavit said. “Let’s not waste time, and—”

“Kes!”

They turned, one of the gardeners, a taller Ocampan man, gleefully approached, gathering up Kes and hugging her tight. He was much taller than Kes, dark haired, and exuded a similar youthfulness as the woman. The Kazon had said the Ocampa only lived nine years. Taitt wondered how old these two were.

“Hello, Daggin,” Kes laughed into his chest.

“We thought we'd never see you again.” He let go, leaning back. “How did you get back?”

“These people rescued me from the Kazon,” She turned to the group of gardeners, about a half-dozen of which had gathered closer. “I’m trying to help them find two of their crewmen. Does anyone know where the aliens are kept? The ones the Caretaker sends here?”

Daggin bit his lip. “I think they were at the central clinic. But… I think they left.”

“It’s a place to start.” Cavit turned to Kes. “Do you know where that is?”

Kes nodded. “I do. I can take you there.”

 _No, you cannot._ The voice was masculine, and older, and not spoken aloud. Taitt turned her head, unsure where it had come from.

Kes, on the other hand, had turned to face an older man who’d just entered the gardening chamber. Unlike the gardeners, all of whom wore deep green and brown earth-tones, he wore a very plain grey outfit with a sort of loose-fitting scarf around his neck.

“They can't speak telepathically, Toscat,” Kes said, almost angrily. “Please talk aloud.”

“I… didn't meant to be rude.” It was clear the man didn’t speak aloud often. He had a hesitancy to his voice that reminded Taitt of the Cairn. “But you should not be here.”

Cavit held out his hands. “We’re just looking for our people. We’ll leave as soon as we find them.”

“That won't be possible,” Toscat said, mouth set in a grim line. “We cannot interfere with the Caretaker's wishes.”

“Speak for yourself,” Cing’ta said, the deep base rumble of the man’s voice clearly unmoved by Toscat’s display of authority. Toscat took a half-step back from the large Bolian.

Taitt checked her tricorder again. It was the only thing she could think to do instead of openly laughing.

“You don't understand,” Toscat said, rallying somewhat.

“That's right. They _don't_ understand,” Kes said. “They have no way of knowing that the Ocampa have been dependent on the Caretaker for so long, we can't even think for ourselves any more. They don't understand we were once a people who had full command of our mind's abilities.”

Taitt watched the smaller woman step forward, crowding Toscat’s space. It was clear she wasn’t going to back down in the slightest.

Zandra Taitt decided she liked Kes quite a lot.

“The stories of our ancestor's cognitive abilities are _apocryphal_.” He turned to the room at large, clearly hoping for a sympathetic audience. “At the very least exaggerated.”

Kes shook hear head. “We lost those abilities because we stopped using them.” It was clear her friend Daggin and all the rest of the Ocampa in the garden were with her.

“We should not dwell on what's been lost but on all that's been gained.”

“We've gained a talent for _dependence_ , for simply _taking what we're given_.” Kes said. “I’m going to help them, Toscat, whether you like it or not, and I think my friends will join me.”

Daggin and the others were nodding. Score another point for Kes, Taitt thought.

“You defied the Caretaker by going to the surface, Kes,” Toscat was nearly pleading now. “Learn from the experience. Follow the path he has set for us.”

“I’ve learned very well, Toscat. I saw the sunlight. I can't believe that our Caretaker would forbid us to open our eyes and see the sky.” Kes dismissed him, turing back to their group. “Come with us. We'll find your people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Seeding a few ideas for potential later episodes here, including the mention of the Cardassian ship we later learn was also brought to the Delta Quadrant, and Ransom. Also, I always disliked how Neelix basically removed any opportunity for the Voyager crew to have even a passingly decent attempt at diplomacy with the Kazon, so since I skipped right by him, they get their shot. And with a Betazoid around, they still get to rescue Kes. Win-win.)


	8. Act VII

“This was where my friend went,” Nen said. She pointed to where rock had clearly been piled, and around which some sort of polymer mortar had been used. “You’ll have to break that down again.” She sounded apologetic.

“It’s fine. Thank you,” Lan said.

Nen looked at them both. “I wish you’d come back with me.”

“We have to try,” Honisberg said. He rubbed his goatee, trying for a confident smile. Even just the walk through the side-tunnels outside the Ocampan city had winded him. Whatever the Ocampan Caretaker had done to him, it was wiping him out.

Nen nodded. “I should go back. If I’m missed…”

“Of course,” Lan said.

The nurse left them.

Honigsberg lifted the shovel he carried, and Lan held up a small lantern. “We can take turns,” she said. She sounded tired, too.

“Right,” Honigsberg said, and started to wedge his shovel around one of the rocks. It took some effort, but he found purchase and started to shove and yank on the handle. After a few moments, the mortar gave way with a crack and the stone broke away from the rest. Behind it, they could see nothing but more rocks and mortar.

“And here I was hoping for a one-and-done,” Honigsberg said.

“Is your life ever that convenient?” Lan said.

“Almost never.” Honigsberg shrugged. “But I live in hope.”

He raised the shovel again, and worked another rock free.

“At least it’s easier now I’ve got somewhere to brace the shovel,” he said.

“Listen,” Lan said, tilting her head.

“What?”

“I thought it was just my imagination, but… the pulses.”

Honigsberg took a second, listening.

“They’re definitely speeding up,” Lan said. “There’s only a couple of seconds between them.”

*

Taitt saw Kes returning from the building she’d led their group to. “Commander,” she said.

Kes joined them, shaking her head. “They left the clinic. A doctor I spoke to said they wanted to see the memorial garden.”

“Memorial garden?” Ro frowned.

“A list of those who the Caretaker brought to us, in memory,” Daggin said.

Taitt opened her tricorder and tried scanning. “The buildings were made in part with the kelbonite in the rock.” She blew out a breath. “If they’re not at that garden, we’ll need to search the whole city.”

“You’re right.” Cavit looked around. “We’ve got an open channel and four communicators and our tricorders, so we split up. Can we ask you to guide us?” Cavit turned to the Ocampa who’d followed Kes.

“Of course,” Daggin said. “We’ll go to the garden.” He turned to Cavit, and the two started off in one direction, almost at a jog.

“Stay in touch,” Cavit said, over his shoulder.

“Where is the exit you took?” Ro said, aiming the question at Kes.

“I can show you,” she agreed.

“I’ll come with you,” another of the Ocampa said. He was much taller and wider than the other Ocampa, with dark brown skin. “They sealed the tunnels after you. We might need to break our way through.” They were gone a moment later.

Taitt considered. If she’d been brought here, where would she go? “Honigsberg is an engineer,” she said. “Is there a place in the city that’s used for communications? Even if it’s just for within the city?”

The remaining male Ocampa shook his head. “There are screens, though. And the food dispensers? Other than the clinic here, it’s one of the few places with a lot of technology.”

“Let’s try that.”

“We can talk to all the staff here,” Cing’ta said. “Maybe someone saw something?”

“Good idea.” She left the last two Ocampa women with Cing’ta, running alongside the man who’d offered to show her the way. He was young and fit and—she couldn’t help notice—handsome.

“I didn’t catch your name,” she said.

“Abol,” he said.

“Thank you for this, Abol.”

“Of course.”

It took a good run, and Taitt was winded by the time they arrived. Tall screens showing calming images flickered above them, but they weren’t having their intended effect. For one, the Ocampa were staring pretty openly at her and her uniform.

For another, the pulses from the array were starting to come so close together it was almost a constant sound.

Taitt tried her tricorder again, but all the nearby lifesigns were Ocampan.

Abol raised his head, looking at the far-off ceiling of the cavern above them, clearly unnerved by the sound of the energy pulses. “Why is the Caretaker doing this?”

“I don’t know,” Taitt admitted. “He told us he was trying to find something, and that here wasn’t much time.”

“You met him. Actually spoke to him?” Abol’s eyes widened.

“We did,” Taitt said. Then she tapped her combadge.

“Taitt to away team. We tried the food dispensers and screens—I thought Honigsberg might try working with local technology, but no sign of them.”

“Good idea, Taitt,” Cavit’s voice came over the channel. It was clear he was still running. “We’re almost at the garden.”

“Nothing more at the hospital yet,” Cing’ta’s deep voice came next.

“We’re still on our way,” Ro said.

Taitt turned to Abol. “Are there any other—”

The pulses stopped. All around them, the Ocampa let out small sounds of worry or fear. Abol swallowed, looking at Taitt.

“Well. That can’t be good,” she said.

*

Cavit shook his head. They stood in the middle of the memorial garden, both catching their breath, while he scanned with the tricorder. No sign of Honigsberg or Lan. He eyed the lists of names and couldn’t help wondering if he was too late.

No. Don’t think like that.

He was just about to ask Daggin if he had any other ideas when the pulses, which had become a near-constant stream, stopped abruptly. The silence felt sudden and ominous.

He tapped his combadge. “Cavit to Voyager.”

“Voyager here,” Stadi said.

“What’s happening with the array?”

“It’s no longer sending out the radiant bursts, Commander. It’s realigning its position.”

He took a second with that. “Let me know if it does anything else.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Okay, Daggin. Do you have any other ideas of where they might have gone?”

Daggin’s eyes were a little wide, and aimed up at the ceiling of the cavern. The man was clearly afraid. Cavit tried to imagine what he was going through—the being that had shepherded his species for what could have been thousands of years was suddenly acting erratic. How could Daggin not be rattled?

“Daggin,” Cavit said again, drawing his attention back.

Daggin managed to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. This is… This has never happened before.”

Cavit reached out and took the man’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

Cing’ta’s voice came over the channel.

“Cing’ta here. We just spoke to a nurse who said she led Lan and the Starfleet officer to the tunnels Kes used.”

Ro’s replied next. “We’re almost there.”

Cavit tapped his badge again. “Copy that. Everyone, head for Ro.”

He looked back at Daggin, opened his mouth to say something comforting, and then the whole city shook beneath his feet.

“Stadi to Cavit.”

Cavit looked up. “Go ahead, Lieutenant.”

“The array is firing some kind of weapon at the surface. I believe it’s trying to seal the energy conduits.”

“Understood.”

The city shook again. The cries from the Ocampa were loud enough to hear even in the garden. Daggin cringed.

“Come on,” he said, checking his tricorder. They had quite the run ahead of them. “Let’s go.”

Daggin followed him.

*

Taitt ran with Abol. Each shake was followed with cries from the Ocampa around them.

“This way,” Abol said, taking a side passage between two large buildings.

She followed, and though she was putting everything she had physically into getting to Honigsberg and the Maquis crewman and getting them to safety, her mind was still turning things over and over.

The Caretaker sealing the conduits didn’t make sense. Or, rather, the scenarios in which it made sense weren’t adding up right. The Caretaker claimed to care about these people, claimed to owe them beyond measure, and had been taking care of them for what appeared to be centuries. The only reasons to seal the conduits all involved not using them to deliver energy any more, which didn’t line up with taking care of the Ocampa. The way Kes had said it, the Ocampa didn’t do much of anything for themselves. Why would the Caretaker cut them off?

Another barrage sent rumbling tremors through the city, and Taitt had to pause, grabbing a wall for support to stay upright. Abol did the same, mouth in a grim line, like he was staring death in the face.

It clicked. Taitt took in a breath, and tapped her combadge to open a channel to the whole team.

“Commander, I think the Caretaker is dying.”

“What?” Cavit’s voice was shocked.

“He’s been delivering energy as fast as he could. And now he’s sealing the conduits. The only reason to do that is if he’s not going to be sending pulses of energy down them anymore, because that makes them an entry point for the Kazon.” Taitt looked at Apol, and tried to keep her voice and her expression as kind as she could. The poor man stared back, stricken at her words. “He’s protecting the Ocampa the only way he can.”

Ro’s voice came over the channel. “You don’t think he might just be leaving?”

“No,” Cavit replied before Taitt could. “He meant what he said, about that debt that can never be repaid? He was talking about the Ocampa.”

“And _running out of time_ ,” Taitt stressed.

Cavit swore. She could relate.

“If he dies, how do we get everyone home?” Cavit said.

Taitt looked at Apol. To his credit, he was still there, still waiting for her.

“We need to hurry,” she said.

He nodded, and started running again.

*

The moment Kes had them outside the city proper, Ro held up her tricorder. A series of tunnels, many of them half-collapsed, showed up clearly.

“I went this way,” Kes said, pointing to an opening more-or-less hidden by one of the large, triangular pylons that reached all the way to the roof of the great cavern. The moment they stepped inside it, the ores of the tunnel narrowed the range of the tricorder, but it had a clear path ahead of it, and up ahead…

“They’re up ahead.” Ro raised her communicator.“Ro to Cavit.”

“Go ahead.”

“They're in one of the tunnels Kes took, Commander.” Ro said. “I don’t have visual yet, but they’re up there.”

“As soon as you’re in range, beam out with them, Ro. We’ll meet you on Voyager.”

Ro nodded, even though the man couldn’t see her. “Will do.” She turned to Kes, and Kes smiled at her and she and the large Ocampan man started forward again. Ro followed.

*

Cavit turned to Daggin. “Thank you. For everything.”

The man smiled at Cavit. "I'm glad we found your people."

Cavit tapped his combadge. “Cavit to Voyager.”

“Voyager here,” Stadi replied.

“Beam up myself, Taitt, and Cing’ta, and wait for Ro’s signal to get the others.”

“Stand by.”

Daggin bit his lip. “What will happen to us?” he said.

Cavit turned to him. “I don’t know. If there’s a way we can help you, we—”

“Commander,” Stadi’s voice interrupted. “We can’t get a lock on you or any of the others. The weapons fire from the array is disrupting the transporter.”

“If it irradiated the kelbonite,” Taitt’s voice jumped in. “There’s no way Voyager will be able to lock on to us.”

“She’s right, sir. We can’t find the breaches in the security barrier.”

“Okay,” Cavit said, thinking. “Then the only way out is the way Kes took.” He turned to Daggin. “I’m sorry. We keep asking you for more help.”

Daggin, though, was already moving. “This way.”

Cavit raised his voice as he ran. “Away team, did you call get that? Get to the tunnels. Follow Ro’s lead. Voyager, stand by. We’re on our way.”

“Aye, Commander.”

“I’m almost at them,” Ro said.

“Already on our way,” Taitt said.

“Us, too,” Cing’ta said.

They ran.

*

Ro, Kes, and the bigger Ocampan she still didn't know the name of climbed through what looked like a recently re-opened section of the tunnel and turned a corner. 

“I see them,” Ro said, raising her voice.

A tall, multi-platformed stairwell rose up a vertical shaft for a long distance. She could see Sahreen, leaning in one corner, and beside her, a human man with a goatee she assumed was Honigsberg. They were only a few flights up, and they looked exhausted and pale. 

“Hey, Laren,” Sahreen Lan called out weakly. “I really hope you brought Sullivan, because we are not doing so well.”

“We’ll have you in a Starfleet Sickbay before you know it,” Ro said, climbing the stairs as fast as she could. The Ocampas followed behind.

A deep pulse struck, and the whole stairwell shook, dust falling down around them. Ro clung to the railing.

“Any idea why someone’s trying to kill us?” the man, Honigsberg, called.

“It’s not personal,” Ro said, finally getting to their level. She knelt down beside the two. Kes followed her a step after. “The Caretaker is sealing up the place. This is just some of the fallout.”

“Oh. In that case, hurrah,” the man said.

“Can you stand?” Ro said.

The two struggled to their feet, but it was clear they weren’t going to get far under their own power. The large Ocampa man helped Lan, and Ro pulled the Starfleet man's arm around her shoulder, then raised her communicator again.

“Ro to Cavit.”

“Go ahead.” He was breathless from running.

“We’ve got them, Commander.”

“Oh, hey, hi Aaron,” Honigsberg said weakly.

“They’re not in great shape,” Ro said.

“Don't wait for us. Get them to safety.”

They started climbing.

Kes looked up. “Don't worry. After those flights, it’s another tunnel. I know we can get through the barrier.”

True to her words, once they’d managed to get to the top of the series of stairs and landings, there was another opening off to the side. Kes and her friend led the way, Lan and Honigsberg managed more or less under their own power now they didn’t have to climb.

“There,” Kes said.

The tunnel’s slow rise was dimly lit by a curtain of sparks where particulates touched a force field. But to one side, a large chunk of rock had fallen, creating a narrow opening uncovered by the barrier.

Kes stepped forward, and carefully started to work her way through the gap, twisting her back alongside the wall and leaving as much space as she could between herself and the edge of the force field. “Whatever you do, don't touch it. We've been told it'll burn your skin off.” 

Ro turned to Lan. “You up to this?”

Lan smiled, face drawn, her spots shockingly visible against the paleness of her skin. “I have a choice?”

*

Abol led Taitt through the tunnel, and reached the bottom of the stairwell. Taitt checked her tricorder as another blast sent dust and debris raining down over them.

“They’re up there,” she said. “Commander, we’re in the stairwell.”

“ _Go_ ,” Cavit ordered.

She half expected Abol to head back to the city, but as she started climbing, he was right beside her.

*

Cavit and Daggin reached the pillar at the same time Cing’ta arrived with the two Ocampan woman who’d stayed with him at the hospital. They were all clearly out of breath.

“It’s this way,” Daggin said.

They went into the tunnels together, just as another barrage sent tremors through the rock around them.

“That’s getting worse,” Cing’ta said.

Cavit agreed. “No time to lose.”

*

Ro checked her tricorder. They’d climbed another stairwell, but at the top there was nothing but a rock wall and a smooth stone ceiling that looked tooled rather than natural.

“There was an opening there,” Kes said, gesturing to the tumbles of rock to one side. “It must have collapsed.”

“We’re close enough to the surface, I think,” Ro said. She pulled out her phaser. “Step back a bit.”

The Ocampas, Lan, and Honisgberg stood behind her. Ro aimed her phaser at the ceiling of the chamber and fired. Rock fell from where she struck, and sunlight poured through, streaming with yellow dust. 

“Ro to Voyager,” Ro said. “Can you lock on to my signal?”

It took a second, but the lieutenant, Stadi, replied. “We’ve got you.”

Ro closed her eyes. “Five to—”

A loud rumble as another blast of the Caretaker’s weapon cut her off, and nearly sent the four of them off their feet. Beneath her, Ro could hear metal screeching and twisting, and chunks of rockcame free from the walls, bouncing down the shaft below.

“Ro to Cavit,” she said into her communicator.

There was no response.

“Ro to away team,” she said.

“I’m here,” Taitt said around a cough. “We’re still here.”

Ro looked up. “Ro to Voyager. Lock onto my signal. Four to beam directly to sick-bay.”

“Four?”

“I’m going back down to find your Commander and my last crewman.” She handed the communicator to Lan.

“You’re so stubborn,” Lan muttered, then tapped the communicator to send the signal.

“Locking on,” Stadi said.

A moment later, the beam had both Ocampas, Honigsberg, and Lan.

Ro started back down the stairwell.

*

Cavit came to with a jolt. He grunted, shifting on the stairs, wondering just how far he’d fallen. Beside him, he heard Daggin moan. He shook his head. “Everyone okay?”

“No.” Cing’ta’s deep baritone was strained, and came from a bit further down the stairwell. Cavit rose, and started back down.

The Bolian lay at the next landing. His leg was clearly broken. The two Ocampan women were standing, though, which was at least something, but neither were large.

“Daggin?” he said. Moving the Bolian wasn’t going to be easy.

“I’m… I’m okay, I think. I’ve hurt my wrist, but I can walk.”

Cavit took a breath, and knelt down beside Cing’ta, grabbing the man’s arm and looping it over his shoulder. Apparently he'd be carrying the Bolian by himself. “You ready? This is probably going to hurt.”

“Ready,” the Bolian said.

Cavit pulled the man more-or-less upright, and the Bolian hissed a breath between his teeth.

“Sorry,” Cavit said, looking up. There were a lot of stairs left between to climb.

“Sir.” Taitt’s head appeared over the railing, further up. She had a nasty cut on her forehead. “We’re on our way.”

“I thought I ordered you to get out of here,” Cavit said.

“I didn’t,” Cing’ta said, raising his voice. "Feel free to help."

Cavit couldn’t stop a little smirk.

A moment later, Taitt and the Ocampan man she’d left with were there, and he took Cing’ta’s other arm, though he wasn’t particularly tall enough to help much. Taitt was cradling her forearm. They made for a sorry bunch, all in all.

They started the long ascent.

*

“You. Weigh. A lot,” Cavit grunted between each step, hoisting Cing’ta around the corner of the stairwell. He could almost see the top. The Ocampa who had his other arm was huffing for breath, too.

The Bolian didn’t reply. His face had gone a particularly pale shade of blue.

“Stay with us, big guy,” Cavit said. If the Bolian passed out, they’d never get him up the stairs.

“Commander,” Ro’s voice carried down the stairwell, and he looked up to see her at the top.

“Doesn’t anyone follow orders?” Cavit said, mostly to himself.

“Maquis…” the Bolian managed, which he supposed was answer enough.

Ro had started to work her way down. Once she arrived, she relieved the Ocampan man of his half of the Bolian and he let her, clearly relieved.

Cavit met Taitt’s gaze. “The rest of you, go. I mean it.”

“As soon as you see the sunlight, Voyager can beam you out,” Ro said.

Taitt nodded, taking Daggin and the other Ocampas with her. It wasn’t long before they were a full flight of stairs ahead of them. And then two. Finally, they reached the top and were out of sight.

“Taitt to Voyager,” he heard her on the open channel. “Five to beam up.”

“We’re almost there,” Cavit said.

Another blast hit somewhere above them, and the shockwave was palpable. Cavit fell backwards, dust filling his eyes before he could close them, and he only barely managed to hold onto the Bolian’s arm.

Metal screeched. Rocks cascaded down the shaft. When it finally passed, he opened his eyes, glancing at the Bolian, who was pressed against the wall beside him.

He didn’t see Ro.

“Ro?”

“Down. Here.”

He turned, and nearly lost his balance as he realized the stairwell was all but gone from behind them. Ro gripped the edge of some of the framework that had once held the last platform in place. She was dangling by both hands over a significant drop.

“Laren,” Cing’ta said, shifting his position.

The whole platform swayed beneath them.

“Don’t move,” Ro snapped. “You’ll take the whole stairwell down with you.”

Cavit looked up. Taitt and the others were gone, at least.

“She’s right,” Cavit said. “You’re too heavy, but if you stay right there, I think I can reach her.”

Cing’ta nodded, once.

Cavit lowered himself slowly, every movement seeming to shake the platform just a little more than before. Rocks kept flaking off the wall, and dust sprayed down on them nearly contantly now. Once he was on his stomach, he reached his hands out as far as he could.

“It won’t take my weight,” Ro said, through gritted teeth.

“Only one way to find out,” Cavit said.

“You’re wasting time,” Ro said.

“You came back for us. I’m not leaving you.”

“Ro Laren if you do not take that man’s hands I will throw us all down this shaft myself,” Cing’ta growled.

Ro closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then swung out.

Cavit grabbed her hand, and she let go with the other, reaching up to grab his other forearm.

The platform groaned beneath them, but didn’t fall.

Pulling her up took longer than anything else had in his entire life, it felt like, but when she finally got her boots over the edge, he pushed himself back against the cavern wall, making room for her to scramble by.

“Okay,” Cavit said, holding out one hand to the Bolian. “Ready for more?”

The Bolian wrapped his arm around Cavit’s neck and he and Cavit started climbing again. Ro took his other arm once they reached the next level of the stairs, and they managed the rest of the climb. Just as they reached the top, they heard the bottom half of the stairwell give way, crashing down into the distance below them.

“Cavit to Voyager,” Cavit said. “Three to beam up.” He eyed the Bolian. “Directly to sickbay, if you would.”

*

Doctor Fitzgerald looked at the readings over Honisgerg and Lan’s beds, and nodded to himself.

“That nod mean we’re good?” Honigsberg said. The chief engineer’s colour had returned, and the smile he aimed Fitzgerald’s way was his old, familiar self. Honigsberg leaned over slightly, turning to Lan. “That’s his ‘they’re good, but I don’t want to let them go yet,’ nod.”

Fitzgerald exhaled, but he couldn’t argue with the characterization. “I’ll need to check in with both of you again, but yes. The immunosuppressants did the trick, and I’ve flushed most of the foreign organics out of your system.”

“And the symbiont?” Lan said.

“The symbiont seems perfectly healthy to me,” Fitzgerald said. “If anything, it seems to have weathered this better than you did.”

Honigsberg sat up. “So I can get changed? Get back to work?” He tried another of his smiles, and Fitzgerald tried to mind he wasn't immune to them.

“Wouldn’t dream of stopping either of you.”

They were up and moving before he’d even made it to the surgical bed, where T’Prena and the EMH were finishing up with the Bolian’s leg. They worked together well, despite the EMH’s incredibly brusque manner, Fitzgerald thought, and tried not to feel a stab of self-pity as he watched the holographic doctor work with both hands.

His left hand ached beneath the series of silver bands and straps that ran across his wrist, and up each finger and his thumb. Entirely psychosomatic, of course. Didn’t make it hurt less to know that.

He turned to Ro and Cavit, who were still waiting for him.

“Report,” Cavit said.

“Taitt’s already back on the bridge, and I assigned quarters for the guests—bumps and bruises, for the most part, though one man had a sprained wrist. He’ll be fine,” he said. “As will your friend,” he said to Ro, nodding back at Cing’ta. “It was a multiple compound fracture, but T’Prena and the EMH can handle it.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Ro said.

“Honigsberg and Lan?” Cavit said.

“They were implanted with some sort of sporocystian cell growths, and their immune systems couldn’t handle it. I’ve treated them, and I’ll follow-up, but—”

“Bridge to Cavit.” Stadi came over the comm, cutting him off.

“Go ahead,” Cavit said.

“Two Kazon ships are approaching the array.” Stadi said. “And two more inbound.”

“The shuttles from the planet?”

“No sir. These are larger.”

“Set a course,” Cavit said. “I’m on my way.”

“I need to get back to my ship,” Cing’ta said, from the surgical bay.

“You’re not going anywhere,” the EMH said, bluntly pushing at the Bolian’s shoulder until he was forced back against the cushion. The big man looked stunned at the strength of the holographic doctor.

“We’ll pick you up as soon as we can,” Ro said.

She and Cavit exchanged glances as they left sickbay.

“That array is our only way home,” Ro said. “If the Kazon-Ogla decide it belongs to them...”

Cavit nodded, on the same page. “Let’s get there first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the things Voyager couldn't do—because budget—that bothered me was have people come aboard and stay. I don't have a budget, so if I want to add all of Daggin and his Ocampan gardening buddies, I can.


	9. Act VIII

Cavit stepped onto the bridge, eyes on the viewscreen. The two Kazon vessels were nearer to the array, just ahead of them. The ships themselves were about a third of the size of Voyager, closer in size to the Li Nalas.

That was something, at least.

“What are they doing?” Cavit asked.

“They’ve powered weapons and shields,” Rollins said. “They’re approaching the array.”

“Bring our weapons online,” Cavit said. He didn’t want a fight, but he absolutely didn’t want to be unprepared for one.

“Aye sir. Torpedoes and phasers ready,” Rollins said.

“Red alert,” Cavit said.

“The lead Kazon ship is hailing us, Captain,” Taitt said. She’d taken ops, Cavit noticed.

“On screen.”

Jabin appeared. “I see the entity's strange behaviour has your attention, too, Commander?”

“It does. We're about to transport over to the Array to investigate.”

Jabin held his gaze a few seconds. “I’m not sure I can permit that, Commander. If anyone will own this array, it’s the Kazon-Ogla.”

Cavit held up both hands. “We don’t want to own it, Jabin. We want to go home.”

Jabin nodded. “Don’t be long. If the Kazon-Ogla cannot have the array, no one will.” He paused. “And this time, _Commander_? Come back. As you _said_ you would.”

The channel closed.

“I don’t think he likes me,” Cavit said. He eyed Stadi. “Can we trust him?”

Stadi lifted her head. “He’s worried about the other ships approaching. One of them is his. One isn’t. Right now he believes he needs us to defend the array. I wouldn’t doubt him when he says he’d rather destroy the array than let anyone else have it.”

“Then lets hurry.” He turned to Rollins. “Open a channel to the Li Nalas.”

“Channel open.”

“Cavit to Ro. Taitt and I are beaming to the Array. Keep an eye on the incoming ships—one isn’t likely to be friendly.”

“Understood,” Ro’s no-nonsense voice inspired confidence.

“Sir,” Stadi said, in a tone he knew all too well. It matched the same tone he’d use with the Captain if she’d decided to beam away with potential hostiles on approach.

“I know,” Cavit said. “But if Taitt and I can’t send us home, I’d like our best pilot out here.”

Stadi narrowed her eyes. “Good luck.”

“Bridge is yours,” he said. He turned to Taitt. “Ready?”

She left ops, a relief officer sliding into the space the moment she left.

“Keep a lock on us, Ensign,” Cavit said to Rollins. “If we need to get out of there quickly, I’d like the option.”

“Aye, commander.”

*

The same farm setting was still present, but the light had lengthened into an evening. Owls hooted in the distance, and the air had a cooler edge to it than the warm summer day that had been there before.

“I can access the processors back there,” Taitt said, pointing to the barn.

The old man was still there. He strummed his banjo, seated on the same bench where they’d left him.

“Go ahead,” Cavit said. “You know what we need to do.”

Taitt left him.

Cavit approached the old man.

“You again,” the old man said. “Persistent.”

“Can you send us back to where we came from?” Cavit said.

“That isn't possible.” The man’s voice was weak and weary. “I’ve barely enough strength to complete my work.”

Cavit swallowed. “You’re dying.”

“Yes. And if I don’t seal off the city, the Kazon will steal the water. But in a few years, when the Ocampa's energy runs out, it won't matter.” He closed his eyes. “They'll be forced to come to the surface and they won't be able to survive. And all this time, all this effort…”

Cavit felt another piece of the puzzle slide into place. “It was your fault, wasn’t it? What happened to the planet.”

The old man’s nod seemed weighed down with greif. “We're explorers from another galaxy. We had no idea that our technology would be so destructive to their atmosphere. Two of us were chosen to stay behind and care for them.”

“There are two of you?” Hope flared in Cavit’s chest, only to fade out as the old man shook his head.

“No, no.” Now he sounded almost angry. “She went off to look for more interesting places. That’s why I needed others.”

“That’s why you kidnapped us?” Cavit said “Why you infected all those people?”

“They weren’t infected. They were incompatible.”

“Incompatible?”

The old man closed his eyes again. “I’ve been searching the galaxy for a compatible biomolecular pattern.” He opened his eyes, leaning forward. “Now, in some individuals I found cellular structures that were _similar_ , and I almost had it, right at the end, but… Oh. It’s too late.”

Cavit blinked, taken aback. “You were trying to _breed_ with us?”

“A replacement.” The caretaker nodded. “Someone who'd understand the enormous responsibility of caring for the Ocampa. Perhaps an offspring could do that.”

Cavit took a deep breath. He didn’t even have the first notion of what to say to the Caretaker’s plan. _Assault_ and _murder_ barely covered it. But it was clear the man truly thought it was his only option, which seemed such an incredible level of hubris.

“Did you ever consider teaching the Ocampa to care for themselves?” he said.

The old man snorted. “They're children.”

Cavit thought about Daggin, and Kes, and the other Ocampa who’d helped them find their people. “I don’t think you’ve given them enough credit. Do you have a way to contact them? To… I don’t know, to transfer control of the array to them? Because right now, there are two Kazon ships out there who want this place. If you—”

Stadi’s voice interrupted him. “Voyager to Cavit.”

Cavit tapped his combadge. “Go ahead.”

“The other first of the two ships has arrived, and it’s opening fire on the Kazon-Ogla.” There was a pause, and he heard Stadi grunt. “And us.”

Cavit glanced over at Taitt. She spared him a quick glance, but shook her head.

“I need more time here.”

“Then you’ll get it. Stadi out.”

*

“Are any of the ships targetting us?” Ro said.

“Not yet,” Lan said. “We’re keeping the array between us and them, and they seem to be completely focused on Voyager and the smaller ships. Mostly Voyager. She’s taking the bulk of the attacks—I don’t think they believe the smaller ships will be able to stop them if they deal with Voyager, and my scans say that’s not a particularly bad hypothesis.”

The door to the Li Nalas bridge opened, and Cing’ta entered, sliding into the tactical station. “Sorry I’m late. Had to turn off a hologram and convince a Vulcan I was fine.”

“ _Are_ you fine?” Ro said, raising an eyebrow.

“Always.” His rumbling baritone left no room for argument.

“How do you feel about a loop and strafe?” Ro said.

“Oh, I feel good about it,” Cing’ta said.

Ro laid in a course. “Let’s get their attention.”

*

Stadi worked the conn, zagging Voyager out of the latest volley from the large Kazon vessel, but they were losing ground. Staying close enough to the array to maintain a lock on the Commander and the Lieutenant meant she had limited space to work with, and the Kazon vessel didn’t care where it went as long as it got a good shot at Voyager.

Another spread of fire slammed into Voyager’s shields.

“Shields at fifty percent,” Rollins said. “They’re targeting our phaser array.”

“Return the favor, Ensign,” Stadi said.

“Yes ma’am.” She maintained concentration on the conn, but she felt the little thrill of success from behind her all the same.

“One hit,” he said. “We’ve damaged their port emitter.”

Stadi worked to keep Voyager placed in their newly arrived blind-spot, but it wasn’t going to be something she could manage for long.

Suddenly, the Li Nalas was on her scanners. It flipped up from beneath the array, looping in a tight arc around the large Kazon vessel, peppering it with pinpoint strikes as it arced a full circle around the ship.

“They’re drawing fire,” Rollins said. “And they’ve knocked the Kazon shields down to seventy percent.”

As the small Cardassian ship flipped all the way around and vanished behind the upper pylons of the array, Stadi remembered what Taitt had said about Ro.

Advanced Tactical Training.

The large Kazon ship began a slow turn, clearly keen on swatting the small Cardassian vessel.

Stadi lay in a course correction, and told Rollins to fire again. They weren’t going to take this ship down, but she was going to buy Cavit all the time he needed.

*

“Commander?”

If her tone didn’t already give away her news, it wouldn’t have taken more than a glance for Cavit to read her expression.

“That bad?”

“Half an hour?” To her credit, her voice didn’t break. “Per ship.”

Cavit blew out a breath, and turned back to the old man. “Could you do it faster?”

“Oh, I wish I could.” The old man sounded truly regretful. “But I have very little time left, so I have initiated a self-destruct program.”

Taitt, alarmed, checked her tricorder. After a second, she nodded at Cavit, then kept working.

He put a hand on the old man’s arm. “If you destroy this Array, we’ll be trapped here.”

“The Kazon cannot be allowed to take control this installation. In minutes, it will be destroyed.” He patted Cavit’s hand. “You have to go. Go now.”

The man closed his eyes and let out a long, slow breath. With the exhalation, his form shivered, the old man fading and in its place, a larger mass, a translucent purple and palely luminescent with shimmers of oranges and blues.

A sporocystian lifeform.

“I am sorry.” Without a humanoid form, the Caretaker’s voice was deeper, and vibrated through the air around them, though it remained just as weary, just as broken. “This installation must… be destroyed. The Kazon must not be allowed to gain control of it. They would… annihilate… the Ocampa.”

On the last syllable of the word, the being began to collapse in on itself. In moments, it had coalesced into a small, fist-sized crystalline stone.

The simulation ended. All around them, silver-blue corridors backlit with triangular lighting panels appeared. The lights were growing steadily brighter.

Cavit knelt and picked up the remains.

“Commander,” Taitt said. “I think I can take the self-destruct offline.”

*

“There’s another ship arriving,” Rollins said. “It’s firing on the larger vessel.”

“Apparently this one’s on our side,” Stadi said. She watched the Li Nalas take another series of hits, but then the large ship began returning fire on the new arrival.

“There are two more coming,” Rollins said.

“Stadi to Cavit,” Stadi said.

“Go ahead.”

“I’m not sure how much more time we can give you. The Li Nalas took some hits, and we’re not doing much better. Another of the large ships arrived, and it seems to be aligned with the Kazon-Ogla, but two more are coming, and I’m not sure they’re friendly.”

*

“Acknowledged,” Cavit’s could hear the tension in Stadi’s voice.

“Commander?” Taitt said.

“Could you restart the self-destruct sequence? Set a timer?”

Taitt shook her head. “No.”

“If we use the station to leave, assuming we have half an hour and we got everyone on board Voyager from the Li Nalas, what happens to the Ocampa?”

Taitt swallowed. She didn’t have an answer for him. It wasn’t fair for him to ask her, not really. He was in charge. Him.

 _What would Janeway do_? He’d served with her for a year on their shakedown, but technological hiccoughs weren’t moral questions. He honestly didn’t know how she’d handle this. And it didn’t matter.

 _What will_ I _do_?

He could feel himself searching for loopholes. Technically, the Ocampa weren’t a warp-capable species, and they’d already made first contact. The Prime Directive had already been broken, and if Voyager hadn’t been there, who’s to say the Kazon wouldn’t have taken the array anyway?

 _You are_. The voice in his head was so crushingly familiar he could have sworn he’d heard it out loud. He took a single breath, and decided.

“We can’t let the Kazon have this array,” he said. “Not even the Kazon-Ogla. How much time for the self-destruct?”

Taitt checked her tricorder. “Four minutes. Maybe five.”

He tapped his combadge. “Stadi? Beam us back.”

*

Voyager rocked as Cavit and Taitt entered the bridge.

“The new ships are in weapon’s range,” Rollins said. “Not friendly.”

“Open a channel to the Li Nalas.”

“Channel open.”

“Ro, pull back. We can’t let the Kazon have the array, and we can’t get home without letting them have it.” He swallowed. “The array is set to self-destruct.”

There was only a brief hesitation. “Acknowledged.”

Cavit looked around the bridge. The shock on the faces of his crew would stay with him forever. They knew what was happening. What this meant. What he’d chosen for all of them.

“Get me Jabin,” Cavit said.

“Aye, sir,” Rollins said.

Jabin appeared on the viewscreen. “I’ve called for additional ships. If we can hold out together for just a while longer, Commander, we could—”

“Jabin,” Cavit interrupted him. “The Caretaker—the entity—he set the array to self destruct. I’m sorry. Get your ships out of here. You haven’t got long.”

“ _No_ ,” Jabin’s anger was clear, but he reined it in a moment later. He stared hard at Cavit, then closed the channel.

“Follow the Li Nalas,” Cavit said.

“Aye, sir.” Stadi laid in the course.

Cavit kept his eye on the viewscreen. The three large ships that weren’t loyal to Jabin began a slow arc to face the array, clearly positioning to defend what they believed they’d just won.

Something in the array detonated.

Bright white light eruptions spread from the centre of the array first, spreading up and down the main column, and then spread in all directions in a series of detonations along its outer hull before the whole array exploded in all directions, sending radiant bursts of energy and fragments alike into the three larger Kazon vessels.

Each of them was destroyed in turn.

The bridge fell silent for a few moments, broken only the background noises of the systems.

Rollins cleared his throat. “The lead Kazon ship is hailing us.”

“On screen,” Cavit said.

Jabin appeared on the screen.

“The Kazon-Ogla won’t forget this, Commander.”

The viewscreen returned to the star field.

“Was that a thank-you, or a threat?” Cavit said, putting a hand on Stadi’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Stadi said.

*

Cavit sat on the couch in the ready room, reading Honigsberg’s damage report and estimate for repairs for Voyager and the Li Nalas. The little Cardassian ship was tougher than she looked, but Honigsberg noted his estimates of her top speed. Taitt had also sent him a report. After the Caretaker’s admission of how his and his companion’s arrival had damaged the Ocampan homeworld, she’d taken a closer look at readings in the sector as a whole.

It wasn’t just one planet. This whole area of space was resource poor in a way she couldn’t explain. Even deuterium. She wondered if the Caretaker’s arrival was responsible for this, too.

Cavit took a breath. They were going to have to tighten their belts.

The door chimed.

“Come in.”

Ro Laren came through the door. She looked around the ready room, then met his gaze. “You asked to see me, Commander?”

Cavit rose. “I did. How are repairs going on the Li Nalas?”

“Almost complete. Thank you for all your help.” She crossed her arms, tension clear in the rigid way she held herself. “Is this the part where you wish us luck and cut us free?” 

Cavit shook his head. “No. It’s not.”

“I hope it’s not the part where you try and place us in custody.” Her dark eyes met his, and that rare smile returned.

“Not that, either.” He returned the smile.

“What’s your plan, Commander?”

“We work together to get home,” he said.

She tilted her head. “That’s a pretty short plan.”

“I’m still working on the details,” he said. “It’s been a long day.”

That earned him another smile.

“I’ll walk to you the transporter room,” Cavit said. “We can work on the details once we both finish the last of our repairs.”

They stepped onto the bridge. They’d begun the walk up to the rear of the bridge when the turbolift opened and Daggin and Kes stepped out. Both were smiling.

“Commander,” Daggin said.

“Daggin,” Cavit said. “For the record, you technically shouldn’t be on the bridge. It’s for crew only.”

“Oh,” Daggin said. “Then we should become crew as soon as possible.”

Beside him, Ro was turning into a regular smile-a-minute. She coughed away a little laugh.

“What can I do for you?” Cavit said.

“It’s what I might be able to do for you, Commander,” Kes said. “I know someone, someone from off our home world. I met him when I first came to the surface. He traded with the Kazon. He swore he’d return for me, and I thought we could find him. He knows about this area of space.”

Cavit exchanged a glance with Ro. “It’s better than flying blind,” she said.

He had to agree. “Do you know where he is?”

She nodded. “He said he gathered items to barter from the ruins of the ships near our homeworld.”

“The debris fields,” Ro said.

“Thank you, Kes. We’ll definitely consider it.”

They all took the turbolift together, Daggin and Kes staying behind when Ro and Cavit exitedon deck four. Once Ro beamed off Voyager, Cavit nodded to the transporter chief, returned to the turbolift, and finally made good on a promise.

“Sickbay,” he said.

He still owed Dr. Fitzgerald a follow-up for his concussion.

*

Cavit had called the senior officers to the bridge. Daggin, too, who’d become a sort of spokesperson for the other Ocampa on board. And on the viewscreen, the bridge of the Li Nalas was visible with Ro and her bridge crew, Lan and Cing’ta among them, and Kes as well—Ro had agreed to take Kes to find this friend of hers.

Completely restored, the bridge practically gleamed. Rollins stood at tactical, Taitt sat at her science station, Honigsberg at engineering, and Stadi manned the conn. Fitzgerald stood near the master display.

Honigsberg had suggested Swinn for Ops, at least in the meanwhile.

“We’re very far from home,” Cavit said. “And it’s been a rough couple of days. We’ve lost people, and we’re on our own.” He turned as he spoke, taking a moment to nod at Daggin. “But we’ve already met some new friends.” He faced the viewscreen. “And even some allies.”

Ro tilted her head in acknowledgement.

“Together we’re stronger, and together is our best chance at getting through this. That’s why Ro Laren and I have agreed that Voyager and the Li Nalas will work in unison. We know other ships were brought to the Delta Quadrant, including others from home. We'll look for them, and on our way, we’ll explore space. But our main goal is clear. Even at maximum warp, it would take us seventy five years to get home. Well, I happen think we can do better than that. You’ve all already shown me you’re all capable of far more than the expected. The Caretaker has a partner out there somewhere. We’ll try to find her. And wormholes. And we’ll continue to find new life and new technology. We’re going home. That’s a promise.”

He faced Taitt. “What do you say, Lieutenant? Think we can have a course plotted by the time the Li Nalas gets back?”

Taitt smiled. “Yes, captain.”

Cavit didn’t flinch at the title. It was tradition to refer to the commanding officer of a starship as a captain.

It didn’t mean he’d gotten used to it. Not yet.

“Okay then,” Cavit said, turning back to the screen. “We’ll meet you at the rendez-vous.”

“We’ll see you there, Captain.” Ro tipped her head again. “Li Nalas out.”

Cavit eyed his crew. “I promise I’m not prone to speeches. It just felt like a special occasion.”

Fitzgerald met his gaze, shaking his head with a little smile.

“Let’s get to work,” Cavit said. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go! I hope you enjoyed. I wanted to leave the moral choice for Cavit, and make it clearer having his cake and eating it too wasn't an option. And I couldn't bring myself to immediately throw them all together into one ship—if I do more episodes, I'll definitely merge the crew, but I thought it might be more interesting for them to have the two ships for a bit longer, as a chance to show the Maquis crew working on their own terms for a bit longer. 
> 
> I imagine I'll "skip" around episodes if I write more of these, so if you've got a favourite first season episode you'd like to see this crew handle, let me know.


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